Orchestra groups perform for pre-assessments and assessments

Orchestra students at Rachel Carson Middle School are heading to Oakton High and Kenmore Middle in February and March for a long awaited pre-assessment and assessment. After a year of missing it, Mrs. Devyn Grimes has announced the confirmation of assessments.

Orchestra groups — concert, philharmonic, chamber, and symphonic — have been preparing for assessment since mid-January. Each group learns two or three new pieces for judges to adjudicate them, based on intonation, positioning, sound balance, volume, etc. 

Concert and philharmonic orchestras performed on Feb. 16 at Oakton High School, alongside Oakton’s string ensemble and philharmonic. They were conducted by Mr. Eric Renne and Mrs. Grimes. 

The next day, chamber and symphonic played along with Oakton’s chamber and symphonic orchestras, once again conducted by Mrs. Grimes.

The  experience of playing in an auditorium on a stage is new for some of the players. Last year, the eighth-graders did not get a chance to play as a group in person, so this performance gave them a chance to play together once again after the winter concert. 

In March, the groups will play at Kenmore Middle School, once again being adjudicated. From now until then, Mr. Renne or Mrs. Grimes will be working hard with the students to perfect their pieces. 

Not only will they be playing their three pieces of music, they will be doing sight reading pieces — a piece of music which they only have a few minutes to prepare for, which will also be judged. 

String ensemble will also be performing in their spring concert on March 24 at Rachel Carson.