At Athens Drive, the school orchestra is an integral part of students’ lives, bringing music and entertainment to the school through concerts and musicals. For many, it’s an escape during the day to get away from note-taking and tests by giving students a chance to express their creativity with their instruments.

“The class has such a different vibe and environment than any other classes in the school. It feels like a break from all the tests and notes from other classes,” said Elsa Black, junior.

On top of that, the orchestra also teaches students many important values that can be used later on in a professional environment. According to the American Youth Symphony Orchestra, orchestra teaches skills such as a good work ethic, teamwork, good listening skills, good eye-hand coordination, and problem-solving skills.

“Learning to read music and manipulating an orchestra instrument to produce the sounds you want it to produce improves eye-hand coordination as well as cognitive skills,” said the American Youth Chamber Orchestra.

The orchestra is divided into two classes: a beginner class and an advanced class. The beginner class has a special concert at the end of the year in May, and the advanced class performs in several different concerts and musicals throughout the year. Both classes prepare for their performances months in advance in order to refine their skills and perfect their performances. 

“We prepare months in advance, focusing on individual parts and harmonies,” said Stella Boshoff, junior.

Orchestra can also benefit a student mentally. According to Oxford Royale, playing an instrument can be very therapeutic, especially when played with other people. It can also help boost your organizational skills, making it easier to keep up with schoolwork along with any extracurricular activities a student might be involved in. 

”Your organizational skills will get a good boost when you have to juggle all this with your schoolwork, and it will give you good practice for handling large workloads at university and beyond,” said Oxford Royale.

Many students join orchestra to get more involved in the school and meet new people that share some of the same interests. 

”One of the most significant benefits is the valuable connections your child establishes with other students,” said the American Youth Chamber Orchestra.