On February 5, the Boston Latin School Philharmonic String Orchestras and Concert Band Purple attended a Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) open rehearsal. The BSO frequently holds open rehearsals where audience members can participate in a short question and answer segement with the orchestra, watch the group run a few of the pieces and hear the stories behind their selections.
BLS has been attending the BSO’s open rehearsals for the last few years. The groups that go to these rehearsals have varied from year to year, but this year, all of BLS’s upper bands and orchestras have the opportunity. The Repertory String Orchestras and Concert Band White went to the November rehearsal, and the Concert String Orchestra and Symphonic Band are slated to go in April.
Attending BSO rehearsals provides the unique opportunity for students to see their instruments played at a much more advanced level than they perform at school, while also gaining insight into how an orchestra functions.
Besides listening to the music, students also had the chance to speak to BSO’s sound engineer. Cailin Dech (II), a violist for Philharmonic String Orchestra White, says, “My favorite part was talking to the sound engineer during the intermission and learning a lot about how the acoustics and volume worked.”
While some students may see these field trips as an opportunity to miss school and spend time with their friends, BLS Band Director Mr. Nicholas Salerno believes that they have much more value than that. He considers visiting a world-class orchestra to be an excellent way to see how exceptional various instruments can sound and how well a group can come together to make one cohesive performance.
For band members, Mr. Salerno feels that the experience of hearing songs, like Swan Lake — which features a full wind section — makes these trips worth taking, even if students tend to engage less during some of the more string orchestra-focused selections, such as the 30-minute Bach piece the BSO played.
Jocelyn Green (III), an oboist for Concert Band Purple, notes that “the best piece they played was Swan Lake because of the oboe solo.”
For BLS students, who experience a very academically-focused culture, it can be easy for music to become a secondary priority or simply something to put on a resume. Taking a day off to see an orchestra rehearse allows students to experience a whole world of music outside of school.
Mr. Salerno shares that the BLS mission statement includes “preparation for successful college studies, responsible and engaged citizenship and a rewarding life.” He urges BLS scholars not to overlook the “rewarding life” part, reminding students, “There is […] more to life than academics. Appreciating art and […] finding your own avenue [and] enjoying it is important.”