Word: orchestra
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Here in HRO, I know that I fall into neither category of musician I mentioned above. In the future, this will not be my career. In the past, I never made it to All-State, let alone All-National Orchestra. And I never spent time at a serious summer music institute, except after my freshman year at Harvard when I worked in a dining hall at Tanglewood, actually serving some of the musicians I now play with...
...simply do not know as much as most of the orchestra. At rehearsal this past Thursday Dr. Y., our conductor, gave suggestions as to pieces for our next concert. At his mention of “The Moldau,” about half of the orchestra groaned, and half sat up eagerly. Bows and hands shot up, voting heartily in one direction or the other as to whether we should add the piece to our program. I abstained. My hand stayed firmly planted at my side, because I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever...
Times like those are the ones when I feel like a freshman all over again. Here I am, one of only 13 seniors in an orchestra of 100 some odd students, a position that should make me feel ancient, like the learned veteran I am. Instead I feel younger, less authoritative and confident and significantly more ignorant than I do in any other arena. Even the freshmen, and sometimes, especially the freshmen, know more than I do. I’m out of practice in the orchestra world, whereas they are just coming from the world of regional youth orchestra...
...this get in the way of my enjoyment of the orchestra. If anything, my desire for knowledge makes me love the experience even more. I feel as if, just by sitting on the same stage and playing the same music as people whose knowledge far outstrips mine, I at least gain some by osmosis. In their playing, HRO members leach out their musical knowledge in the form of emotion-filled performance. I sit there, a sponge, ready to take...
...when Dr. Y. touches his chest before beginning a piece, meaning “play it from the heart,” everyone in the orchestra already knows this. The HRO hoodie really says it all. The back of the shirt bears our semi-internal motto, “Love It. Want It.” And now that I’m part of this amazing group, I do both...