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Many Arcadia students are known to actively participate in extracurriculars, inside and outside of school. These students must work tirelessly to manage their bustling lives and packed schedules. Orchestra, in particular, is one of the more popular school electives, with over two hundred students in the 4 orchestras. We interviewed 4 orchestra students on school sports teams to learn more about their orchestra-athletics experience, and what advice they have for students interested in orchestra and sports!
GABY SHEN
Hi, I’m Gaby Shen and I’m a senior. I’m in Varsity Girls Tennis and Symphony Orchestra, and I play the violin.
My favorite songs at the moment are: Coastlines by Wallows, Obvious by Ariana Grande, and Why by Dominic Fike.
My favorite memory in orchestra would probably have to be the Florida trip and performing at Universal/Disney.
1. How do you balance athletics, orchestra, and academics, along with all of your extracurriculars?
Balancing orchestra, tennis, and other extracurriculars during a normal school year definitely can definitely be difficult, but I think that having all of them at once actually motivates me more since I know I have limited time to finish things. There are some schedule conflicts at times, but they are usually easy to work around.
2. What does the musician-athlete experience mean to you, and what will you take from it when you graduate?
Orchestra and tennis allow me to spend time with people who share the same passions as myself, and I will take all the memories I made with me to college.
3. What’s your advice for other orchestra student-athletes?
For advice, I would say to manage your time well and to enjoy the moment because time really does fly :)
ROSEMARY TING
My name is Rosemary Ting and I am currently a senior at Arcadia High School. I am in String Orchestra and I play the viola. I am currently on the AHS Badminton Varsity team.
My favorite orchestra memory was when we went to Knott’s Berry Farm in freshman year and got to spend the day at the amusement park after playing music.
My current favorite song is: you broke me first.
1. How do you balance athletics, orchestra, and academics, along with all of your extracurriculars?
Balancing athletics, orchestra, academics, and other extracurriculars is a little difficult at times, but the communication is key. It’s very important that the coaches, teachers, and other organization leaders know that you have schedule conflicts beforehand. For example, I have to make sure that my teachers know if I’m leaving class early for games and I have to let my coach know if I can’t make it to a game due to other extracurriculars. I often deal with schedule conflicts as our badminton matches are scheduled right after school ends and I have to prioritize my different involvements.
2. What is something you learned in orchestra, and how does it overlap with what you’ve learned as an athlete?
I learned in orchestra that in order for a symphony to be successful, everyone must contribute equally. Especially when we play together, it’s important that everyone plays their part so that the whole orchestra can sound united— as one.
3. What does the musician-athlete experience mean to you?
Athletics and orchestra have both taught me cooperation and the joy of meeting new people. It has also taught me to step out of my comfort zone and be willing to take on different challenges.
4. What’s your advice for other orchestra student-athletes?
My advice to orchestra-athletes is make sure you are proactive and communicative. But most importantly, have fun!
BRANDON WONG
My name is Brandon Wong and I am currently a senior in Symphony Orchestra. I play the bass and am on varsity volleyball.
My favorite orchestra memory would be when we went on a week long trip to Florida and performed at Disney and Universal Studios.
I don't really have a special music taste; I listen to everything. But for now, my favorite current songs are from Joji, Your Man and Sanctuary are both pretty good.
1. How do you balance athletics, orchestra, and academics, along with all of your extracurriculars?
To balance athletics, orchestra, academics, and other extracurriculars, I always plan out my day beforehand. I have to make sure that I fit everything within a time slot in order to finish homework and attend my activities in a timely fashion. There is a lot of time management that needs to happen in order to balance all of these activities. However, schedule conflicts will be inevitable. Typically, this does not happen, but when it does, I make sure I am transparent with both parties and try to find a compromise.
2. What are some skills you developed in orchestra, and how do they overlap with skills necessary to maintain as an athlete?
From orchestra, I have learned the essence of discipline and practice. Even though you may not like practicing, it is essential in order to become skilled in your craft. Similarly, I have to practice for hours in order for me to improve. The practice may be tedious, but there are rewards at the end of the journey.
3. What does the musician-athlete experience mean to you, and what will you take from it when you graduate?
Both orchestra and athletics mean a community to me. There are so many people to meet in each group, and the social aspect of both is something that is very meaningful to me. It is a place of comfort, and in college, I feel that I will try to find a place of comfort to relax, away from all the stresses of academics.
4. What’s your advice for other orchestra student-athletes?
For orchestra student-athletes, please plan out your time and know events before hand. If you procrastinate and notify your teachers of conflicts a day prior, they will be mad. Make sure to ask for a calendar of events into the year and plan out any times. Lastly, always do your best!
DORIS DAI
Hi! I'm Doris Dai and I'm a sophomore in concert orchestra. I play the violin and I don't think color guard is a sport, but that's what I do!
I have so many favorite songs, I don't know which ones to pick! I guess my top 5 are Robbers by The 1975, Like a Fish by Matt Maltese, Bookstore Girl by Charlie Burg, Creep by Radiohead, and Tap Out by The Strokes.
My favorite orchestra memory is going to a Forum Festival in eighth grade. I forgot what we played, but my stand partner and I had an inside joke about it, and it was pretty fun to play. We spent the rest of the day in Disneyland, and I've made some long-lasting memories there with my friends.
1. How do you balance athletics, orchestra, and academics, along with all of your extracurriculars?
To be honest, I'm not the best at keeping up with schedules that I make for myself. I do try to make time to practice playing orchestra pieces as well as practicing color guard routines. Sometimes I prioritize one or the other on certain weeks when I feel like I'm lacking in one of them. I'd say it can be pretty challenging to keep up with my normal school work (especially with AP Chem), but I get it done at the end of the end. There's never been a time that my two commitments clashed with one another. However, my instructor is very understanding and I'm sure it'd be easy to figure something out with Mr. Kidd and Ms. Chen.
2. What are some skills you developed in orchestra, and how do they overlap with skills necessary to maintain as an athlete?
Something I've learned from both orchestra and color guard is that practicing is never a bad idea. This applies to almost everything, but you'll never improve in anything if you don't practice. If you're not happy with where you are (skill-wise), then you're the only person to blame because you decide how committed you are in something.
3. What does the musician-athlete experience mean to you, and what will you take from it when you graduate?
I've spent so much time playing the violin and spinning random equipment in front of huge audiences that I can't imagine not being a performer. Even if I've felt conflicted with the two, orchestra and color guard will always have a special place in my heart. When I graduate, I think I'll look back and be glad that I didn't take ceramics. Just kidding, but I think later on in life, I'll appreciate art and music a whole lot more.
Conclusion
Thank you to Gaby, Rosemary, Doris, and Brandon for taking part in this interview. We all long for the time when student athletes and orchestra students can actively practice and compete together again. Make sure to check our blog for future posts and updates about Arcadia Orchestras students!
Photos courtesy of Gaby Shen, Rosemary Ting, Brandon Wong, and Doris Dai
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