Orchestra All Region is Saturday with students district wide preparing their excerpts given by the judges to be performed anonymously, followed by rankings that will be released in the days after.
“To prepare for all-region, I have been practicing every day and listening to feedback from my teachers and peers,” sophomore Rebecca Feng said. “Something that has been really helpful was participating in region clinics, provided by the club “Paizo” at LHS. I played my all-region pieces during advisory and got feedback from a few of my classmates, which allowed me to know what I have to improve on.”
For junior Cheng Jin Lee, rehearsing daily while following specific practicing methods has been helping him get ready for the audition.
“My practice routine normally starts with scales and some basics,” Lee said. “I pick the hardest part of the piece or excerpt and repeat it slowly.”
However, for sophomore Sophia Essa, her practice routine looks a little different, as she adds a fun tune to it.
“I always warm up with a harmonic scale of some kind, or the Burger King jingle,” Essa said.
Between All Region and school, there have been some difficulties balancing the two.
“The biggest takeaway I’ve learned is that I have to be consistent with my practicing,” Feng said. “All-region has been a big commitment, and learning to balance my practice with my academics has been a struggle.”
Readiness can go a long way in the preparation process and help prevent errors.
“Be prepared,” Lee said. “You need to work harder and prevent future mistakes as you are playing.”
Dealing with anxiety from the competition is not something taken lightly yet Feng has found a way to navigate around the high amount of stress she is facing.
“By playing in front of friends and teachers, I am slowly learning to handle the pressure,” Feng said. “By recreating an environment with high stress, I am able to be more prepared before the competition.
For Essa, attempting at the audition is just as important as succeeding.
“I’ve tried my best to change my mindset, before I associated not making all-region as the worst possible outcome,” Essa said. “Now I’ve learned that not even trying is worse than just not making all-region.”
