From April 4th to 7th, the West Morris Regional Orchestra traveled to Boston to compete in the Worldstrides Boston Heritage Festival. The group of individuals was made up of students from both the West Morris Mendham and West Morris Central high schools and directed by Ms. Jennifer Meckler.
Performing in the competition was a unique experience that many of the musicians enjoyed. “My favorite part of the orchestra trip was getting to perform alongside my friends and peers in competition, as well as the mutual joy we all shared when we scored first place,” Allison Dilling, a second violinist from WMC, reflected.
The orchestra finished the competition with a score of 91/100, earning the Gold rating. They also received the award for the Most Outstanding Orchestra. “I’M SO PROUD OF EVERY MUSICIAN!!!” Ms. Meckler excitedly wrote in a message to the WMC Association of Music Parents that has since been posted on Instagram. “They have worked so hard this year and really deserve this.”
Sam Kearsten, a junior cellist from West Morris Central High School, was awarded the Maestro Award for his solo in “La Cascara,” one of the pieces the group performed at the competition. “It really took dedication to be able to work my way towards that moment, and there is still so much to learn and grow from after that moment as well,” he reflected. Kearsten put a lot of effort into mastering his solo before the competition. “The most challenging part of learning my solo was definitely properly mimicking someone ‘singing’ the solo part. As the solo is played, there needs to be efficiently applied color to each note, and it really goes down to the specifics of making it sound its best,” he explained.
Aside from receiving the honors, the awards show itself proved an enriching experience. “I really enjoyed getting to meet people from other ensembles, seeing the different awards being handed out, and of course receiving some awards,” Maya Janssen, a junior bass player from WMC, described.
The orchestra was also able to experience other exciting music and non-music related activities while in Boston. For example, they took part in a guest conductor session at MIT. “This session was super interesting to me, and I specifically got a few really good tips for my solo in that moment that finally brought it together for the final piece of performance,” Kearsten described. They also got to explore the city: Allison Dilling fondly recalled the opportunity to walk around the art museums as her favorite part of Boston.
The West Morris Central Orchestra will perform one more time before the end of the year at their Senior Honors Concert on May 7th.