As preparation for the SpongeBob musical continues, many of the fine arts are coming together to contribute to the show with members of band and orchestra joining forces in a pit orchestra. listen

“Pit orchestra is different from traditional band or orchestra class because there are less students,” assistant director of bands Cecily Yoakam said. “They are usually the only person or one of very few on their part, and they are responsible for a massive musical moment in the show. It is almost like everything you play is a solo. It is a very different yet fun experience, as well as being a massive collaborative effort between the fine arts departments.”

The pit orchestra gives players an idea of what a professional pit orchestra looks like and prepares for performances.

“I joined pit orchestra because I wanted to challenge myself with difficult music,” senior Justin Chen said. “This is the closest opportunity to a professional setting as a high school musician can get. The music was really difficult to sight read, so I think being a part of the group will improve my sight reading abilities and musicianship for other pieces of music.”

The combination of band and orchestra is a way to spend time with friends in a fun musical environment for sophomore Suhaib Sabir.

“I decided to join the pit orchestra because I thought it would be a fun place to hang out with my friends, while also getting to play music,” Sabir said. “This experience will definitely help me in the future by preparing me for the upcoming challenging music that I might play in a band.”

As well as providing an environment that mimics what can be seen professionally, the orchestra helps players to develop the skills that will be important in their traditional music classes.

“The music is usually pretty challenging, and they have a really short time to learn it, meaning their individual accountability has to be higher than it usually is in band class,” Yoakam said. “They are able to be exposed to new musical terms and key signatures they don’t normally have to play in, so it really pushes students’ abilities to grow and adapt to new situations.”