The annual all-city orchestra resumed after a one-year break due to COID. This year, there were 17 southeast students who participated in the orchestra. 

“All city orchestra is a yearly thing where we have … students from around the district get together and perform a concert… It’s a great honor because not every kid gets selected, it’s really the cream of the crop,” orchestra director Amanda Gimson said.

“I’m looking for kids that- that will work hard and also that are really fast learners, because a lot of times we don’t get the music until right before the rehearsal start, and it’s a very quick turnaround,” Gimson said.

On top of that, there are only four rehearsals before the concert.

“It’s such an inspiring thing to see how quickly the kids come together with only three rehearsals to put on a performance,” Gimson said. 

“The first rehearsal is definitely one of the most struggling ones since everybody is just together for the very first time. But then as um each rehearsal goes on it gets better and better,” violinist Jessena Mean-Chan (10) said.

All city provides new ways to socialize with different people in the fine arts community.

“Meeting so many new people. It’s a really good social kind of concept. With meeting people from different schools and districts and stuff,” Mean-Chan said.

“I’d say the most memorable experience would be… getting to know the um, conductors cause they’re all college people. … so like just getting to know them, understanding how they work in the college setting,” cellist Kenny Phan (12) said.

In this ensemble, people can develop skills that can help them in their futures.

“I hope they learn uh cooperation skills, um time management skills that are a big thing, especially for high schoolers. And just that… this is a fun thing that they can do and they get to see people that they might not always see on a daily basis because they interact with the same kids every school year growing up,” Gimson said.