Lawton Chiles High School Chamber Orchestra - #1!
The 2008 - 2009 school year, the orchestra Bailey and I are in (the Lawton Chiles High School Chamber Orchestra) were invited to the ASTA National Orchestra competetion in Atlanta, Georgia. Our entire orchestra worked very hard for seven months on the music ( the "Bloch Concerto Grosso" and the "Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten"). Throughout the year, we continued to tell ourselves that it was an honor to even be invited to compete, to one of the fifteen orchestras from all across America chosen, but as the competetion drew nearer we decided we really wanted to win.
Taking first place meant so much to us. The pride our orchestra felt was incredible. You can never understand how it felt hearing "Lawton Chiles Orchestra" being called out over the other fifteen orchestras surrounding you. We are number one!
While there, one of the highlights (second to winning obviously) to Bailey and I, was getting to sample violins brought from all over the country to display at the National Orchestra Convention. At first we thought it was absolutely astounding playing $60,000 violins, then we got to the more pricey ones. I got to play a $900,000 violin whereas Bailey had the privelege of playing on a $1,000,000 violin!
Naitonals was such an amazing experience for us and our orchestra. We were invited back again next year, but sadly the competetion is in California and it is just something we all can't afford. But we will be attending Festival Disney in Orlando.
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