AUBURN - The annual City String Festival at Auburn High School has always been an event that the district's high school and middle school musicians look forward to every year.
Jennifer Meyers / The Citizen
Taylor MacBain, 10, plays the viola during the piece “O Fortuna” at the Auburn Enlarged City School District's Department of Music Education All-City Spring Festival. MacBain is a member of the combined elementary school orchestra.
Taylor MacBain, 10, plays the viola during the piece “O Fortuna” at the Auburn Enlarged City School District's Department of Music Education All-City Spring Festival. MacBain is a member of the combined elementary school orchestra.
But this year, which marked the 20th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Auburn string program, called for something a little extra special.
Along with students from both East and West middle schools, the high school orchestra also welcomed 33 elementary school musicians from all five district schools to perform.
“We wanted to do something special,” said Victoria Kinney, director of the high school orchestra. “We wanted to do something to celebrate the 20th anniversary and to celebrate how much the string program has grown over all these 20 years.”
Adam Carkey, elementary school program director, has been working in the district for only a year, but in that time he has seen the program grow with 115 students across the city participating in the string department.
“It is really great to see kids take an interest in music like this,” Carkey said. “It is great to see them get involved in strings and not just electric guitars and things like that. It is wonderful to see them get excited about strings and this kind of music.”
For the performance, Carkey had to narrow down his selection to 33 students.
“The kids all had to try out,” Carkey said. “So it is really exciting for all of them to have made it to this point and to be able to perform here tonight.”
Each of the three orchestras played a few selections on their own, but for the grand finale, all three joined together to play “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana.
The performance came together very quickly.
“We only had one time to all get together and rehearse,” Kinney said. “But I think it is coming together very well. It is a very exciting piece to play and it has something for all of the kids from the more difficult for the high school and the easier for the littler kids, there is something for all of them to play.”
For the younger students, the chance to perform with the high schoolers was an exhilarating thrill that struck a deep chord for their love of music.
“It feels really good,” said Cole Austin, 10, from Herman Avenue Elementary. “It is awesome to see how many people are going to be here and it is really cool to be able to play with all the other kids, it is really exciting to know that we made it from our school and we get to play is awesome.”
To make the night special, Bonnie Tennant, who joined the district to help rejuvenate the string program in 1986, was special guest conductor.
“It is interesting to be back,” Tennant said. “I retired six years ago, so I forgot what it was like to rehearse with all the bells and everything.”
Tennant said that it has been amazing to see the growth of the program that she helped found.
“There are a lot of good people working here now,” Tennant said. “A lot of really good musicians that have really helped this to grow and get to where it is now right from the elementary students on up.”
For one Auburn High senior, the night was like making a full circle.
George Lesch, 18, had Tennant as an instructor when he was in fifth grade and now he had the opportunity to present Tennant with flowers at the close of the program.
“It is kind of surprising,” Lesch said. “But it is pretty cool to have her here for the 20th anniversary and to have all the little kids here playing with us. I did the same thing when I was little and remember what it was like so it is really cool to see.”
Along with students from both East and West middle schools, the high school orchestra also welcomed 33 elementary school musicians from all five district schools to perform.
“We wanted to do something special,” said Victoria Kinney, director of the high school orchestra. “We wanted to do something to celebrate the 20th anniversary and to celebrate how much the string program has grown over all these 20 years.”
Adam Carkey, elementary school program director, has been working in the district for only a year, but in that time he has seen the program grow with 115 students across the city participating in the string department.
“It is really great to see kids take an interest in music like this,” Carkey said. “It is great to see them get involved in strings and not just electric guitars and things like that. It is wonderful to see them get excited about strings and this kind of music.”
For the performance, Carkey had to narrow down his selection to 33 students.
“The kids all had to try out,” Carkey said. “So it is really exciting for all of them to have made it to this point and to be able to perform here tonight.”
Each of the three orchestras played a few selections on their own, but for the grand finale, all three joined together to play “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana.
The performance came together very quickly.
“We only had one time to all get together and rehearse,” Kinney said. “But I think it is coming together very well. It is a very exciting piece to play and it has something for all of the kids from the more difficult for the high school and the easier for the littler kids, there is something for all of them to play.”
For the younger students, the chance to perform with the high schoolers was an exhilarating thrill that struck a deep chord for their love of music.
“It feels really good,” said Cole Austin, 10, from Herman Avenue Elementary. “It is awesome to see how many people are going to be here and it is really cool to be able to play with all the other kids, it is really exciting to know that we made it from our school and we get to play is awesome.”
To make the night special, Bonnie Tennant, who joined the district to help rejuvenate the string program in 1986, was special guest conductor.
“It is interesting to be back,” Tennant said. “I retired six years ago, so I forgot what it was like to rehearse with all the bells and everything.”
Tennant said that it has been amazing to see the growth of the program that she helped found.
“There are a lot of good people working here now,” Tennant said. “A lot of really good musicians that have really helped this to grow and get to where it is now right from the elementary students on up.”
For one Auburn High senior, the night was like making a full circle.
George Lesch, 18, had Tennant as an instructor when he was in fifth grade and now he had the opportunity to present Tennant with flowers at the close of the program.
“It is kind of surprising,” Lesch said. “But it is pretty cool to have her here for the 20th anniversary and to have all the little kids here playing with us. I did the same thing when I was little and remember what it was like so it is really cool to see.”
