Martin High School Symphony Orchestra Practicing

Practicing Makes a Difference, Not Perfection For many students, summer is not the most productive time of year. It is our big break from education, stress, and school related activities. We are free of due dates and responsibilities, or so we think. I am a member of the Martin High School Symphony Orchestra. We, as musicians, are responsible for maintaining our ability to play at a consistent, near professional level. To accomplish this, we must practice. However, caught up in the excitement of my last high school summer, practicing my instrument was not as high on my priority list as it should have been. Having not been a member of this orchestra the previous year, I was unaware of the consequences I would face by not practicing and now wish that I had spent less time hibernating and more time whaling away on my cello. Practice is tedious work; sitting there with a tuner, tuning every single note measure by measure for as long as your fingers will last. It is not entertaining and requires a handful of patience. This is why most of the orchestra members have private lesson teachers. They are fantastic at getting you to practice as well as pros at making any spot in your music more enjoyable to play. One of my adjacent regrets was not hiring a teacher over the
summer. This left me with little motivation, leading to my cello collecting more dust bunnies than rosin residue. Private lesson teachers are not the only individuals who encourage practicing. Fellow orchestra members and section leaders are always ready to help. Whether it be confusing fingerings or a clef you have never read before, being able to collaborate with peers your age with similar ability levels is priceless. The reason this was an issue for me is because I did not know anyone else in the ensemble. All of my friends were placed in different orchestras, leaving me with only myself to learn from. Now that the school year has begun and rehearsals are in full swing, I have really gotten a taste of how intense the class truly is. Absolutely no time is wasted in class or in our two and a half hour after school rehearsals. When the bell rings, we are expected to be tuned and set up to play our daily warm ups. By the end of the class, we manage to cover all three pieces, go to sectionals, and discuss where we need to improve in the music as a section. It is a daunting task living up to the outstanding reputation this orchestra program has established and by not practicing for over three months, I made it that much more difficult for myself to carry on our legacy. Last year, the Martin Symphony Orchestra was one of two full orchestras selected out of the entire nation to play at the Chicago Midwest Festival this December.
I am honored to be given the opportunity to perform at this prestigious event with such a talented group of musicians. Unfortunately our director, Mr. Stringer, who made this dream possible, was offered a new job position and will not be conducting us at the festival. Receiving this news towards the beginning of the summer definitely affected my practicing. I was devastated to see him leave a program he worked so tirelessly to build. But the show must go on and I now practice more than ever to ensure that our ensemble serves his name
proudly. As air conditioning is the key to a happy Texan, practicing is the key to a stellar musician. I strongly regret not picking up my cello over the summer, especially before entering the hardest orchestra I have ever been a part of. I have learned that practice does pay off and that no excuse is worthy of a three month leave and I will never make that mistake again.