On Wednesday February 27, the Edison High School Orchestra played with the Herbert Hoover Middle School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School’s orchestra for the first time ever. On this day, the concert orchestra, including excited students of all grades gathered in the auditorium to rehearse their music for the future spring concert with the middle schoolers. This event provided the middle schoolers the opportunity to perform on stage in front of an audience, and ask questions to high school players and EHS Orchestra Director Ms. Brittney Milicia.

The event started with the Edison High School Concert Orchestra playing four pieces that they have been rehearsing for the Spring Concert: “Doraji,” “St. Paul’s Suite,” “Dance of the Night,” and “Horizon.” Following this, the Edison High School Chamber Orchestra performed “Missa in Angustiis” (Haydn), “A Salute to the Big Band,” “Appalachian Morning,” “Kyiv 2022”, and “Demande Et Response.”

The Concert and Chamber Orchestra have rehearsed these pieces for numerous months, preparing for such events.

Following these pieces, members of Herbert Hoover’s Orchestra and Thomas Jefferson’s Orchestra were assigned a partner from the Edison High Chamber Orchestra. Together with their partner, they played Doraji.

“This concert gave us a great opportunity to interact and teach the middle school students,” said Sameth Sitaram ‘27, a member of the Edison High Chamber Orchestra. “I hope we continue to hold this event annually in order to help the middle schoolers get familiar with the difficulty of pieces that we play in high school.”

At the end of the event, the Herbert Hoover Orchestra and Thomas Jefferson Orchestra played their concert pieces for the EHS students.

“I am most excited about the field trips and performance opportunities in the Edison High-school orchestra,” said Jerry Chu ’28, an orchestra member from Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

Jerry, out of many others, wishes that this will be continued in the upcoming school years since it will inform the middle schoolers on what to expect in high school orchestra, in addition to the fact that it is a great bonding experience for everyone.

​​”The middle school orchestra event was great. I was able to meet prospective orchestra members and help them play difficult concert orchestra pieces,” said Srinidhi Tammana ‘25, a member of Edison High School’s Chamber Orchestra. “It was overall fun, and it’s exciting to see the incoming underclassmen play.”