The middle school and high school orchestras teamed up on October 20 to perform their 2011-2012 school year debut. With songs ranging from Beethoven to Tchaikovsky, the group attracted a crowd that nearly filled the high school auditorium.

The ever-continuous expansion of the orchestra program was apparent by the number of orchestras that performed. The middle school orchestra, after only being established in 2008, has increased to 4 different performance groups, while the high school orchestra, which consisted of only one group since the program was built in 2006, has finally split into two groups this year.

The orchestras that performed included: the SCMS Beginners, Philharmonic, Symphony, and Concert, and the LHS Philharmonic and Symphony orchestras.

Among the individual performances, senior Trey Anderson took orchestra teacher Joey Sloan’s spot temporarily to conduct the high school Philharmonic orchestra’s piece. Anderson is part of an independent study in which he studies music education with Mr. Sloan and Assistant Principal Ray Winkler, who performed with the high school Philharmonic orchestra as a violist.

Also part of the program: recognition for the students that auditioned for the prestigious high school all-region program. Despite the competitiveness of the audition, three students made it: Trey Anderson, junior Samuel Kuang, and sophomore Ethan Smith.