Nothing can stop the music, and the music department is facing the odds head on this year in order to keep the music alive. Even though creating and sharing that music may be a little more difficult this year, the new orchestra teacher is on it.

Navigating hybrid learning style has proven to be especially difficult for the orchestra class this year. The orchestra can’t ever be all together because they can’t go outside or space out appropriately in the tiny space indoors; the orchestra can never play all together on any day regardless because of only half the kids being in-person at any one time. This creates performance difficulties as only half the orchestra, by the time of performance, has practiced together. However, the new orchestra teacher, Breana Mitchell, is determined to make the best of it.

“I think we are doing it how we can do it,” Mitchell said. “I think it would be better if we go all in-person because then it will feel more complete. It feels kind of like we are missing a bunch of stuff, just because we are a lot smaller, but I think it’s going well. We are getting stuff done.”

Mitchell is hopeful the orchestra will still get a few concerts in before the end of the year and is going to be recording their concerts similar to what the drama club is doing for their performances so that there are not any large crowds of families in the PAC at any one time and the families of our school can remain safe.

“We have a concert recording on Nov. 2, which will be presenting that Friday,” Mitchell said. “We will be recording in the PAC and then presenting it as a concert online in different places.”

Although this is not the first choice for any ensemble, it is the best option for right now. It allows the community to continue to enjoy the music of East’s orchestra, despite coronavirus, in safety.  It will be an interesting learning curve adequate for an interesting year.