Tonight I had my first orchestra class. I haven't been in orchestra for 6 months so it was fabulous to be in that atmosphere again. But it just wasn't the same. First of all, 2 of the 4 pieces we're playing I played in high school. That just goes to show that I was in an amazing orchestra and that we were capable of doing college level music! Proven by our first place wins at every single competition we went to, even on a national level! How awesome it feels to be part of something that awesome. Although everyone had different levels and some people may not haven't wanted to be there we always did our best and since there were so many of us we had a fantastic sound. Plus we respected Mr. Westgaard so much. He is probably the best conductor on the planet. Music is his life and even though he probably wants to retire he never does! He's there for us 100% of the time and he has trained us so well. In my new orchestra we sound fine and we can sight read and everyone in it wants to be there. However, I never realized how important leaders are in an orchestra. Although our first chairs may have been annoying sometimes or acted like they knew it all, they really are talented musicians and were really able to help us. They were so confident in their playing and it seemed like they never made mistakes. They helped guide the rest of the sections and keep us together. Tonight while I was playing I realized that there are no leaders yet in this new orchestra. No one really stands out and no one has a powerful sound to help carry the rest of us. What a difference that makes. I know it will only get better from here but it really made me think about the experiences I've had with orchestra in the past and I'm so lucky to have had them. Memories made and lessons learned that I will never forget.
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