Photo Courtesy of Tom Nugent
Greeley West's team of orchestra students pose for a picture at Combined All League at the Union Colony Civic Center.
On January 21st, six of Greeley West’s orchestra students went to the annual Combined League Festival at the Union Colony Civic Center. They rehearsed music with high school musicians from all over Northern Colorado and performed for friends and family that night.
Each student had to audition for this opportunity with recorded audios of the requirements. Students had to play scales, excerpts from professional music, and a solo to be considered for acceptance.
Once they had been accepted, they had to prepare for the day itself. Senior cellist Jeremey Keener said, “I spent a lot of time practicing and checking in with my director and private lesson teacher.”
The difficulty of the high. “I practiced during my own time, as the pieces we were playing were pretty difficult,” senior violinist Sophie Dhupar mentioned.
The day of combined league was filled with hours of rehearsals that taught the musicians new techniques and skills to bring back to their own orchestras. Dhupar stated, “I hope to use the techniques I learned to elevate my playing, as well as others’ playing.”
Dhupar hopes to bring back her newfound confidence in playing and encourage others to find their own.
Kenner and Dhupar both said it was fun to be around others who cared equally about music and their instrument. Keener said, “It was a crazy experience to see people take it as seriously as I do.”
“It was such an amazing experience playing with a full orchestra and being surrounded by people who were so invested in the music. I would definitely recommend auditioning to anyone interested,” Dhupar added.