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Kaylee Chamberlain

The cellos and violins will play louder than ever next year with around 100 students set to participate in orchestra, according to orchestra director Miriam Edgar.

In the past five years as director, Edgar said she has never seen such a large influx of new students.

Edgar said her current students are very excited about this new transition because the new students are coming in with a lot of skill and energy.

Freshman orchestra member Philip Djerf worked with the incoming freshmen for two years at the middle school. He said the new students are a very talented group of musicians.

“I think that it’ll be a good addition. I know them all and they’re pretty good at playing,” Djerf said.

Junior orchestra section leader Ketki Hotaling said she is very excited for the upcoming transition. She said she is looking forward to the astonishing sound that will come from a larger orchestra, like at the Alumni Concert, where orchestra students and graduates perform together.

“Having lots of sound and dynamics is very crucial,” Hotaling said.

Hotaling said she is concerned about getting to know all of the new orchestra members next year, which is a responsibility of being a section leader and a senior.

“Next year, it’s going to be a little bit harder to really make sure that everybody is an orchestra family,” Hotaling said, “Having so many people, it’s going to be impossible to get to know everybody on a personal level.”

Hotaling said she sees mostly positivity in the new transition.

“I really don’t think that there is any negative response or outcome that could come from this, besides communication between classes,” Hotaling said.

Edgar said the new group of students will bring new talents and skills.

“The eighth grade orchestra, that will be the new freshmen crew coming in next year, they’re by far the most advanced group I have ever worked with for eighth grade,” Edgar said. “It’s fun to see a program grow. We’re not just growing in size but were growing in ability too.”