McNary music students had an unusual rehearsal session recently – practicing side by side with professional musicians from the Oregon Symphony.
About 65 students in the school’s symphony orchestra then performed alongside their professional counterparts in a concert at the school on Friday, March 21.
McNary parents and students from Salem-Keizer middle schools attended the concert, which was held in the auditorium.
The session was the first time in seven years that McNary students shared musical performances with symphony players.
“This one-on-one attention will help the students grow as musicians and as a performing ensemble, instilling confidence, purpose, and pride in their abilities,” according to a statement from the Oregon Symphony.
“For some students, there’s no question that an experience like this will inspire them to pursue music, whether as an avocation, a profession, or maybe to become a music educator,” said Sean Williams, McNary orchestra instructor.
An hour before the joint concert, nearly 60 Oregon Symphony members joined the McNary students for a rehearsal.
They worked tirelessly to perfect the music before showtime. The conductor refined certain bards of music, adjusting tempo and volume, which forced students to make quick adjustments. Sitting between symphony members, the students were immersed in musical excellence, Williams said.
Freshman Iris Hiltz, McNary’s first chair bassist, sat beside her private bass teacher – a symphony member. According to her, the rehearsal was light hearted. She would joke with her teacher about minor mistakes.
McNary’s first chair violinist, senior Cameron Vue, shared the front row with Associate Concertmaster Peter Frajola. After watching the Oregon Symphony perform “countless times,” Vue was astounded to sit among the musicians.
During the rehearsal, Frajola pushed Vue to try new things. At one point, he had Vue playing a lower string than he was used to. Although Vue was intimidated, Frajola said it “worked like a charm.”
According to Williams, playing alongside talented musicians will help the McNary students.
“When you sit down with a more experienced performer, you develop a very quick rapport. It doesn’t matter the age difference – you understand each other and the things that you’re working on,” he said.
Hiltz noticed the tremendous ability of the professionals, which helped students circumvent their mistakes. If Hiltz missed a note, for example, her standmate’s sound would provide cover. Because of this, McNary heard the potential for what they could sound like, she said.
Vue agreed. He said that the rehearsal was a morale booster, showing how far they’ve come and where they could be in the future.
“A lot of us are going to be way more motivated now that we’ve had this experience,” he said.
The side-by-side orchestra performed McNary’s “festival music,” said Williams.
Students played the music at the George Fox Band & String Orchestra Festival in early March. On April 12, they will play the same set at West Salem High School during the district festival.
Williams credits the students’ performance to private, elementary, and middle school band teachers.
“What you see on stage is 20 minutes of music, but a culmination of years and years of preparation,” he said.
News tip? Contact reporter Riley Ellis: [email protected].
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