Student musicians come together during Orchestra Jamboree
Student musicians come together during Orchestra Jamboree
Churchville-Chili recently hosted the 3rd Annual Orchestra Jamboree, inviting students from Brockport, Churchville-Chili, Rochester Christian School, Charles Finney, Brighton and West Irondequoit together for an experience similar to All-County performance festivals. This year, the group was joined by guest conductor, Dr. Raúl Munguía.
The Orchestra Jamboree began in 2023 when Renee Sipes, a senior at that time proposed an event that would be teacher recommendation and run through the High School Orchestra Council. The purpose of the event would be to grow the funds to help students attend sleep away music competitions. Renee is now studying cello performance and the event lives on!
Renee's proposal was the perfect solution to what orchestra teachers had Churchville-Chili had been imagining for years: An experience, similar to All-County performance festivals, for those high-achieving students who don’t make it in. Oftentimes, many hard-working violin students do not make it into the group for various reasons; an example being they only make it to a Level 2 in sixth grade. Despite this, our teachers want these students to have the experience of playing in a larger group with other students who are also working hard on their instruments.
The Orchestra Jamboree ran as a pilot in 2023 before opening to other districts. During the event, students rehearse for four hours, including mentored sectionals. Following rehearsals, the students perform a concert alongside their instructors.