NPHS orchestra strings melodies and emotion together
When one googles “the best composers of all time,” many people will pop up, including the likes of Beethoven, Debussy and Bach. The iconic pieces these composers are known for are complex and emotional, but one may not realize their many nuances. For a single musician in the orchestra, it takes lots of time, patience and skill to learn these pieces.
The NPHS Orchestra and Strings program, taught by Tina Huang, meets multiple times a week to polish their skills and practice for their upcoming performances. Huang also pays special attention to the new members, especially freshmen, to help them adjust to playing at the high school level. “It usually takes a while for us to figure out what each person needs and how we can best help them, but still maintain that joy of playing music,” Huang said.
Maralle Honbo, freshman, plays the violin in the Concert Orchestra. She has played her instrument for five years, and after overcoming the challenges associated with learning music theory and certain notes, she has grown in skill and confidence. Orchestra recently had a performance on Nov. 15, entitled “Winter Waltzes,” in which Honbo enjoyed the similar themes among each of the songs, all relating to the concert’s title. Although performing at a recital may seem intimidating, she tries to remember, “I’m comfortable playing with everyone around me…It should be more of an exciting thing than a nervous thing,” Honbo said.
At Newbury Park High School, orchestra students spend their time practicing and learning new music. But packing up your instrument and traveling across the country is something unique that one student got to do this year. Arth Dalsania, sophomore, had the opportunity to play with the Carnegie Hall Honor Orchestra alongside dozens of students from around the world. “It was [a good experience] because it was a new conductor, and I learned from them and learned from other kids who I had never met before, [as well as] playing in a famous venue and meeting kids from around the country who also do orchestra,” Dalsania said.
Dalsania has played the violin since he was six years old, and he has worked alongside the NPHS orchestra to learn the skillset needed to play cohesively with others. “Learning for orchestra is hard because you have to learn how to mix with a bunch of other people playing…which is hard to get used to if you are used to playing by yourself,” Dalsania said.
Whether one plays the harp, violin, viola, bass or cello, they are sure to learn many new skills and be able to play with a diverse orchestra at NPHS. A pianist and violin player herself, Huang has an innate passion for music and live performances. “That live, instantaneous connection that [we] have when we are making music at the same time. This isn’t the same as listening to something on Spotify or watching a YouTube video,” Huang said.
