E-Hall is normally filled with multiple melodies of musical masterpieces all being performed by various leopard music programs, but there are only two programs at the school that teach students how to play instruments: orchestra and band. These classes are similar in certain aspects but both have many of their own unique qualities.

“Band requires more physical activity and there is a greater variety in sound. It takes a great amount of preparation to learn how to march, but it also takes a lot of hard work to learn how to play a string instrument like a cello or violin,” freshman Diane Bao said.

Perhaps one of the biggest differences between the two comes down to school credit.

Instead of qualifying as just a fine arts credit, marching band also counts as an athletic credit.

“Marching band should count as athletic credit. I wouldn’t say it’s that hard, just a lot of work. Learning how to do it right takes time and applying it in the show takes even more,” freshman Natalie Demarest said.

Keeping with the tempo and staying within the form is a key factor in marching. Steps must also be very precise and visuals must be exactly the same. The band is also present for every football game in the season and plays throughout the game and halftime.

“The thing I enjoy the most is the feeling when everyone’s on fire for band and working really hard, and as a family,” sophomore Anna Turner said.

On the other hand, orchestra involves keeping the instruments inside, and there are less instruments in orchestra than band. They have more classical instruments that have existed for hundreds of years, and orchestra has had a longer history in the world. The modern version of an orchestra has existed since the seventeenth century, before the United States of America was founded. Also, orchestra performs more concerts throughout the year. They tend to choose longer songs with more dynamics and they have a variety of genres for their music, including classical and pop.

“What I enjoy most about orchestra is being able to hear the end result of all of our hard work,” freshman Alexandra Winguard said. “I like hearing all of our sounds coming together.”

Other than the differences, orchestra and band are very similar. Both try to convey feelings and emotion through music, and show that they really enjoy performing for an audience.