“I learned that months of preparation can really pay off in amazing ways. I also learned that on 14 hour bus rides, you really get to know people on another level,” senior Rachael Curl said. The Concert Orchestra earned the opportunity to play in the National Orchestra Festival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

This annual festival brings together some of the top talent in the nation into one city. There they are given an opportunity to perform and get feedback, ratings and a lot more. This is a great indicator on a group’s talent and just being invited is an honor in itself. These groups that are invited are among the best in the nation and they earned the right to participate; being invited to this festival is a very big deal.

“By far the coolest experience of the whole trip was getting even closer to the other students on this trip. We’ve bonded and become such a family. We are all very talented but as an ensemble we are able to make the music extraordinary,” Curl said.

This trip was a great opportunity for orchestra members to grow closer to their peers in an out of school setting. They shared a 14 hour bus ride which certainly should do the trick. This trip was a combination of team building and performing. Normally when kids are that close for that long they begin to share a bond as they get to know each other. Sometimes a person’s closest friends are made when they least expect it.

“My biggest takeaway was getting to spend a whole weekend with my orchestra family. It was cool to be able to bond with them outside of the classroom and get to know them on a more personal level,” junior McGinley said.

The group departed mid week and set off for Pittsburgh. When they arrived their time was mixed: they performed and practiced, but they also were taking in the city of Pittsburgh. This was a great experience for the group and they are sure glad that they were able to go on this trip.

“What I learned on this trip was just what talent can be produced by a high school orchestra. We competed in the National Orchestra Festival and it was truly amazing and inspiring to see the talent of some of these high schools throughout the nation,” McGinley said.

The Concert Orchestra has worked so hard all year in preparation for this festival. All the hard work seemed to pay off. The resounding response about the trip was that it was a wild success. The students really enjoyed Pittsburgh, the festival being in the presence of their friends for the whole weekend.

“I believe the trip went really well. I’m very proud of everyone and wouldn’t want to have done it with anyone else,” Curl said. The trip has seemed to have paid off, the concert orchestra is in its stride and they aren’t looking back.

This trip strengthened the group, they have become a lot closer and they learned a lot through the help and advice of experts from all over the nation. This will set the Concert Orchestra well for the rest of the year, and will give them a solid start to next year.