By Carisma Leyva
Staff Writer
All orchestra ensembles from the Manhattan Beach Unified School District participated in the All-District Orchestra Festival on Feb. 5 in the Mira Costa High School auditorium.
The All-District Orchestra Concert is held annually to provide collaboration between the music programs of MBUSD schools. According to Manhattan Beach Middle School music teacher Denise Haslop, this concert is beneficial for student-musicians as they continue to learn and gain experience.
“Having the All-District Orchestra Concert helps one see the sequential music curriculum from elementary through high school,” Haslop said. “It also encourages sstudents to play through high school and beyond.”
The fifth-grade Strings and Honor Strings classes from MBUSD’s elementary schools performed under the direction of MBUSD elementary school orchestra director Katie Cavallaro. The ensembles performed pieces such as “Fiddles on Fire” and “First Scale March,” both of which were composed by Mark Williams.
“It is exciting to see all the different levels of orchestras coming together because it shows how possible it is to grow exponentially while staying in the music system,” freshman Kathleen Krull said.
MBMS Cadet Strings, String Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and String Ensemble performed a variety of pieces including “Cruising the Caribbean,” by Carrie Lane Gruselle. The String Ensemble also performed “Variations on Paganini,” arranged by Robert D. McCashin, alongside Mira Costa’s Chamber Ensemble.
“It’s always great to see the progression of these music ensembles,” MBMS Principal John Jackson said. “It is important that students have something that is so essential to their learning.”
Mira Costa’s orchestra ensembles, Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Ensemble also performed. The Symphony Orchestra played “Procession of the Nobles,” by Rimsky Korsakov.
“The students were really excited, and so was I,” Costa orchestra director Peter Park said. “It is always an amazing experience, and the audience was very enthusiastic about all the performances.”
In addition to holding practice during class time, the directors facilitated rehearsals after school to further prepare students for the festival.
“The rehearsals are in fact tough and time-consuming,” sophomore and Symphony Orchestra member Adrian Yu said. “However, they are vital to the process, and we need to complete them in order to be successful.”
Costa’s Symphony Orchestra is currently preparing for its Prism Concert on March 19 with the Costa band and choir.
“Anytime you are up on stage performing is valuable experience, especially for future performances,” Park said.
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