Costa hosts all-district orchestra festival with MBMS, MBUSD elementary schools

By Clare Beezhold

Staff Writer

The Manhattan Beach Unified School District’s elementary, middle and high school orchestras performed on Feb. 7 at Costa in the annual All-District Orchestra Festival.

A total of nine orchestras performed in the concert, each playing one piece of music in styles ranging from classics such as “Concert Song” by Robert Frost to modern pieces including “Killing In The Name” by Rage Against The Machine,  arranged by Robert Anderson. At the end of the concert, each group came together to play “Simple Square Dance.”

“This concert is important because it lets us be an example for the younger kids,” Costa Orchesta Vice President of Events and Activities senior Sydney Pell said. “They get to see if they keep practicing, how much they’ll improve and what it can ultimately culminate into.”

Over 140 students make up Costa’s orchestras, which are divided into the Philharmonic, Symphony and Chamber. Students practice during class every school day and have additional rehearsals during Office Hours and after school.

“We only get to rehearse our big finale with all of the elementary and middle schoolers one time before the concert,” Pell said. “That is all the practice that we have as a huge unit.”

The MBMS Orchestras are comprised of four levels: Cadet Orchestra, String Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and String Ensemble, which practice daily. The elementary orchestras include fifth grade strings players and the Honor Strings orchestra, which is made up of high achieving fourth and fifth grade musicians.

“It was nice to hear the younger musicians play and listen to the talent throughout the whole district,” sophomore violist Julia Vazquez said. “It’s really inspiring for them  to see the different orchestras play and will hopefully persuade them to continue to practice in an orchestra.”

Tickets were free for students and $10 for adults. The profits go toward the Costa orchestra program. Recordings of the performance were available for purchase for $15. The Costa orchestras will be performing next in the SCSBOA orchestra Festival on March 19 at Long Beach Poly High School.

“For the rest of the year in orchestra I’m looking forward to exploring new music and improving as a musician,” freshman violinist Sophia Zhang said.