A flick of the wrist, the quick up-bow of a violin, the slight fluctuation of fingers, and the soft pitched sound of a violin is something Tahoma High School is missing. Playing an instrument yields numerous opportunities for students everywhere; it provides both an artistic and social output and can be very important to many people. This is why it was so hard for students who played orchestra in middle school to transition to a high school with no orchestra.

“When I heard there was going to be an opportunity to do orchestra in the middle school, I was really excited. But then, halfway through the year, Mr. Adams [The instrumental teacher at STMS] informed all of us that there would be no orchestra program at all in high school,” stated Marissa Marquardt, a current freshman who has been playing the cello since 5th grade. She, along with the other orchestra students from the middle schools, faced this disappointment and had their music careers cut short.

However, not all orchestra students’ paths ended. One freshman, Signe Nelson, continues to play the cello in Concert Band, the lowest band class, mostly populated with freshmen. When asked about playing in Concert Band, she said, “I like it a lot. It’s fun, it’s just not ideal, because most of the time I’m confused because he’s talking about band instruments.” Although she is still able to play, being in a class that is not focused on orchestra is not the best fit and proves to be difficult.

But this could change. After being prompted on what to do about the many upset freshmen, Mr. Cole, one of the current band teachers, stated, “Mr. Riggs and I with, of course, Mr. Adams and Mr. Johnson are planning on submitting a class proposal to have a Concert Orchestra Program.” This would open up opportunities for those affected by the school’s lack of an orchestra. However, this is currently just a proposal idea that is not “set in stone” and might not happen for a while. Until then, the Maple Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra (MVYSO) and Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra (SYSO) provide playing opportunities for those interested.

The disappointed students affected by the school’s lack of an orchestra may have opportunities to play in the future. Tahoma’s music teachers are doing everything in their power to try to provide an opportunity for string players at Tahoma.