The annual Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) hosted their annual festival at Long Beach a couple of weeks ago, and our very own AHS Orchestra 1 (O1) went home superior! O1 is full of freshmen, but its skill is advanced! Here are some of the experiences different O1 members have had from Long Beach.

The festival itself consisted of multiple sections. Orchestras were evaluated based on prepared performance pieces and sight reading. This year, O1 received the highest rating from all three performance judges and the Sightreading judge, earning the Unanimous Superior title at the SCSBOA Long Beach festival! Representing AHS well, this is the ninth year in a row that AHS has won this honor–the school couldn’t be more proud! Giving some more insight about how the entire thing really worked, freshman O1 member Briana Hui stated that it was “fun watching other groups perform!” and that the entire dynamic was fun to experience. We hope O1 can keep up this amazing streak. Great work, Apaches!

Freshman First Violinist Iris Lim said “the experience helped widen [her] view on different orchestras at various levels. […] At the end of the day, it was orchestra bonding and [she] feel[s] like everyone got really close and became better friends.” The freshmen of O1 seem to be very close friends, whether on Orchestra Council or just a part of the regular class. Freshman cellist Nicole Klatt says it was a “remarkable day” and went on to elaborate how she was able to witness other schools’ performances and implement those techniques into her own performance afterward, showing how not only was the festival an exemplary performance, but also a learning experience. Similarly, freshman O1 member Janice Wang recalled that it was “really hectic and nerve wracking” and “that without Ms. Chen, it wouldn’t have been possible for [O1] to have done so well. Thank you, Ms. Chen!”

Music and the arts are a large part of AHS, from Orchestra to Orchesis, Color Guard to the Chanteurs, music surrounds us everywhere. O’s flawless performance shows just how well-rounded AHS students are. Once again, great job Apaches!

Photo courtesy of Orchestra 1 Historian Iris Lim