Thank you orchestra for teaching students to see the beauty of music. Being able to read music, and know the secrets behind the best artists has opened student’s eyes into what it really means to be a musician. In the beginning in sixth grade it was painful to listen to ourselves figure out how to make sound on a foreign piece of wood and metal. Now we can not only play songs but turn them into stories full of depth and meaning.

Thank you orchestra for teaching me and my fellow musicians how to become one. With our exhausting rhythm exercises and exciting sight reading, we learn how valuable our peers are and that we need each other to succeed.

When the concert night comes, we never panic or let nerves control us. We remind ourselves of all the hard work we have put into our songs, we think of how awesome we sounded at rehearsal just hours earlier. Stepping onto that stage and showing everyone what we are capable of is the ultimate reward and why I am so thankful for orchestra.

Finally, thank you for the new cello bows. It sounds simple and boring, but they are a blessing to our instruments. Having the cellos that are provided by the school is really nice because we don’t have to lug ours from home every day. But over the years those cellos and bows begin to get scary looking and don’t sound too pretty. When the bow gets old, its hairs start falling out and plays the string in a gritty way. The gift of a new bow makes a world of change in how we sound.

Being in orchestra has made many changes in my life and how I view things. There are stories out there waiting to be played, and I can’t wait to keep performing them.