CODA Orchestras 2016-2017

On Friday, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 19, 50 Samo students along with a host of other high school student musicians from throughout California will be meeting at UC Davis to participate in the California Orchestra Directors Association (CODA) Honors Orchestra Festival. Samohi sends the largest contingency of students for these All State ensembles.After sending in an audition recording a few months earlier, students auditioned for either Honors Symphony Orchestra or the Honors String Orchestra. Depending on which level students chose to try to get into, they were given certain audition music. According to trombonist Joey Ricard (’17), the audition music is fairly challenging. “Most of my difficulties in auditioning had to do with the difficulty of transposing my music from tenor clef [since] I almost exclusively read bass clef. The scales were difficult although I managed to play them properly after a few reps.” Ricard said. These honor musicians will leave for UC Davis Thursday Nov. 17, have an eight-hour rehearsal with all the CODA students on Friday, Nov. 18, have a mini rehearsal the morning of Saturday Nov. 19 and then perform later that day in the stunning Mondavi Concert Hall located on the UC Davis campus. Seating auditions are the first order of the day, so Samohi musicians have been preparing to do their best once they arrive.“Before you get there, one should practice as much as they can as soon as you get the music. It’s a lot of work but the more you’re prepared, the better.” violist Miraclestar Doby (’19) said.A unique aspect of this year’s CODA Honor Orchestra Festival is that the HOnors Symphony will perform one piece alongside the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of their conductor, Christian Baldini. Several former Samohi orchestra students are now members of the UC Davis Symphony, so it will be a wonderful meeting of Samohi alumni and current Samohi honor musicians. The purpose of the CODA is to promote school orchestras by providing music students with honors orchestra opportunities. According to violinist Nika Ghassemi (’19), CODA will help her grow as a musician. “[I auditioned] because I was trying to get more experience and get better. I’ve never done anything like this before,” Ghassemi said.With the concert coming up, students are excited to play exciting repertoire in these honor ensembles while continuing to improve their musical skills. “I’m looking forward to the process of rehearsing and learning how my part fits into the orchestra as a whole, in a new environment with a different instructor.” Ricard said.