My Last Year of Region
We hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving! Please enjoy an account of our competition director Kevin Zhang's account of his Region Orchestra experience.
Region is not all about rankings; it is where I am able to meet musicians across two school districts and create music together.
The audition and re-chair process was stressful and tiring, but the best part of Region was when we finally got to rehearse together last Friday and Saturday. This year, there were three pieces which we performed on Saturday: Conga del Fuego Nuevo by Arturo Marquez, Symphony No. 8 in G Minor by Antonin Dvorak (enjoy a clip of this above!), and Nabucco: Overture by Giuseppe Verdi. From my middle and high school years in Region, Conga del Fuego Nuevo may be my personal favorite because of its unique musical style.
The conductor offered us the chance to conduct the orchestra. In the past, I was too shy to take the baton and stand in front of the eyes of my peers. However, since this was my last year of Region, I wanted to volunteer for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Though I was initially shaking, I really enjoyed conducting the orchestra through the first 100 lines or so of Congo del Fuego Nuevo.
As a current senior in high school, I will definitely miss the Region experience, but I am glad to have had the opportunity to participate in Region for seven years. Region is not all about rankings; it is where I am able to meet musicians across two school districts and create music together.
Author: Kevin Zhang
Editor: Kevin Zhang