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Orchestra Director Sarah Gunnell is leading the charge along with students and parents to add an orchestra program to the NS Music Department.
The program would start out as a single middle school class and would follow the existing students up through high school. It all started when Gunnell noticed that the majority of her students didn’t have an opportunity to play in any organized orchestra, so she started one through Snow College around 2014. The orchestra later switched hands and is now run by Gunnell.
“The only main problem I have with the program is that the program is only for people who can afford it and pay for it,” Gunnell said. “You know, the only way I can make it work is by having an income, and the income is provided by the students, and the parents, and there’s a whole bunch of kids out there that really want to be in orchestra but can’t.”
A group of nearly 80 students, parents, and community members signed a petition to add an orchestra class to NS and showed the school board a presentation on the demand for an orchestra class on January 19. The presentation was organized by Trisha Power, a parent of an orchestra member and NS student. The presentation pointed out that many students would enjoy an orchestra class and that the school should take advantage of the new music room.
A recent NS Times survey indicated that 25 of the 145 students surveyed said that they would be interested in taking an NS orchestra class. NS Sophomore and cellist Tanner Kerksiek supports adding an orchestra class to NS.
“It just gives more opportunities, like scholarships and stuff, ” Kerksiek said, “our school—like, all the kids who play string instruments—is a little further behind than other schools because [other schools] have the chance to go to orchestra every other day.”
In order for any class to start at NS, the NS school board would have to approve of it.
Many existing Music Department teachers are not as keen to the idea of an orchestra program as Gunnel is. After Power and the rest of the orchestra supporters presented to the board, NS music teacher Timothy Kidder and other district music teachers were asked to present to the school board the pros and cons of adding a new orchestra program to NS.
Since the restrictions regarding the coronavirus began, fewer students have been taking NS music classes, and student retention has been low as of recently. Kidder wants the school to focus on improving and growing existing music programs instead of adding a new program. Adding an orchestra program would possibly thin out the existing band.
“I love orchestra, and I’m certified to teach it, but it’s just a workload thing, adding another ensemble,” said Kidder. “A lot of planning, a lot of work, a lot of prep goes into each ensemble class, and so just adding another one of those would probably be too much for me.”
Other obstacles to adding a program would include organizing a storage system for orchestra students, arranging time for the class, and keeping students involved.
“If in the future we can get, you know the programs and the support that we need to grow and be the program that I really feel like we can be here,” said Kidder, “then adding another ensemble really wouldn’t affect us as much.”
The board still is discussing the possibility of adding an orchestra class to NS and will need to settle on a proposal on the topic.
