In the small backstage area of the Taylor Performing Arts Center (TPAC), clusters of students dressed in concert black leaned on doorways or sat in the few chairs available. Every student had an instrument in hand, fingers resting naturally on the valves of a trumpet or fingerboard of a violin, as if the player and the instrument were one. It was Friday, a little after 6:00pm, and Caleb Tang’s (‘26) performance of the Scriabin “Étude Op. 8” streamed through the backstage sound system.
“I mean, truly, it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before,” Giacomo Berti (‘24) said of being a senior in a winter orchestra concert. Despite Giacomo’s renowned talent in playing the drums and bass guitar, he recently decided to take up the trumpet, resulting in a solo that an underclassman called “catastrophic.” Giacomo continued that being a senior is “like being a sailor alone at sea.” He took his interview very seriously. “I don’t have to be in someone else’s shadow, but it’s also scary because I don’t have someone to look up to,” he said.
Clarinet player Nathan Xiong (‘24) stepped in. “Well, for me, on the contrary, I think this is a great time for us to step up as leaders,” he said. “Even some other seniors need leadership in their lives, so you know, I’m really glad to step up for my fellow seniors, like Giacomo Berti.” Caleb’s dramatic and mourning Scriabin performance added a somber soundtrack to their ironic responses.
Nathan and Giacomo agreed that the best part about being in orchestra is laughing at their friends when they make mistakes. Nathan’s musical background is classical; Giacomo’s is jazz. They devote abundant time to playing in different groups outside of school. In the competitive atmosphere of high school, Bishop’s Chamber Orchestra is a place where differences fade away, and these seniors can openly laugh at each other’s mistakes. It is a nonverbal acknowledgment of talent between them.
“Now one line from Eminem,” Nathan said. “‘Dr. Dre, this kid’s gotta be locked away. Don’t just stand there, operate!’ Thanks.” He reached forward and promptly stopped the audio recording.
Rohan Laurent (‘24) has played the trombone and euphonium in the orchestra since he was in sixth grade. Of this experience, he said, “I used to be really bad, and now I’m not bad.” Steven Yin (‘24) chimed in with a thoughtful expression, “It’s interesting the way we overcome obstacles in orchestra,” explaining how players always find ways to fill in if anyone’s parts are missing or wrong. Whether or not this reflection was a response to Rohan’s comment about his prior lack of skill, was not totally clear.
“I’m an OG,” Rohan said, subtly regaining his authority from Steven, who plays mostly in jazz band, and has only been in orchestra for two years. Steven stood with his saxophone neck strap adorned, but had left his instrument behind after going outside for a better interview setting, making him appear as if he was missing a part of himself.
“I think the best part of the orchestra is coming together as a group,” Rohan began to say, met with murmurs of agreement in the background from Nathan and Giacomo, who said something about people of all different ethnicities. “Yeah,” Rohan said, “bringing in people from different backgrounds, of all different ages, with different instruments” – “Ethnicities, and ethnicities” – “Yes, Giacomo, thank you, and ethnicities and identities, together.”
I asked Rohan what orchestra means to him. He automatically replied, “It means everything.” The entire group burst out into laughter. “Orchestra is life,” Nathan was inspired to contribute.
A little further away from the theater lies the “Big Room” in the sixth grade area. It’s an open classroom space that the orchestra claims as an additional backstage, particularly for the younger students who do not play in small chamber ensembles and have to wait for the full orchestra section of the concert.
In one recent year, the orchestra kids were so distracted hanging out in the Big Room that no one, not a single one, thought to keep track of the time and head to the stage when they needed to. This resulted in a period of awkward silence during a performance when chamber players waited for the others to join them for the full orchestra section, an incredulous Mr. Anderson sprinting offstage and finding the students in the Big Room, and the students’ procession of shame into their seats.
This Friday evening, Serena Zhang (‘24), Katherine Ge (‘24), and Joy Udinsky (‘24) stood in a corner of the Big Room, overlooking the clusters of younger students playing games on their iPads and yelling about anything. For many of the seniors, the Big Room has a nostalgic feel, unlocking the memory of their first ever day at Bishop’s when they gathered on the floor as a sixth grade class and were introduced to all the teachers. Perhaps this ambiance influenced Katherine, a pianist who plays percussion in orchestra, to respond reflectively to the question of what it felt like to be a senior. “When I first came to orchestra, I had no idea what to do,” she said. “I was really shy and awkward, but I’m glad I made so many good friends.”
Joy had been thinking. “I feel a lot more relaxed,” she finally said. “Because you know, at this point, I know what to do, I know how everything works.” Her face lit up when she mentioned her new role this year of principal second violin, where she leads her own section.
Then she had a sudden realization. “I feel like I’m always so worried about the concert. Our first rehearsals will be so messy, and I feel like we’re never gonna make this concert work – but it always comes together at the very end,” she said. “We have so many talented players, I feel like we just figure it out, no matter what.” She spoke with an air of pride, genuinely happy to be part of such a group.
Katherine had to mention she was very proud of Giacomo for his trumpet solo in “Cossack Dance.” “Like he’s literally learning new instruments. Our group is insane,” Joy said. Mia Gover (‘25), who plays flute, said, “Has he not played the trumpet before?” Shoutout Giacomo. “He ate,” said Joy.
I asked Mia how it feels that she will still be here next year after the ten seniors graduate. Before she could even speak, Joy and Katherine answered the question for her. “Aww wait, that’s so sad!” “That’s such a sad question.” Mia said, “I’ll be very sad without you guys.” She was really not in a position to answer the question in any other way.
She continued, however, with apparent optimism. “I’ll be excited to get to know some of the other people as well. I mean I’ve been the oldest of the flutes for a couple years now, so it’s been nice to get to know younger people like that, because I feel like we tend to stick more to older people.”
Joy and Katherine wished good luck to the middle schoolers who will “initiate into the orchestra” next year. As Cesar Tadeo (‘24) wisely summarized, “All the new students that come in always get better.”
