Unlike band, strings has a tendency to seem more secretive around the school. This is why the members of the program, as well as the people that come to the concerts, matter so much more to them. Everyone in McPherson hears about the High School band one time or another, but the strings doesn’t seem to get the same attention.

“Well it’d be pretty sick if band and strings could play together. I’ve actually kind of mentioned that a few times. Probably not the whole band, though, because then no one would be able to hear strings.” Said Olivia Myers, a Violinist. What better way for the strings students to gain more attention from the town than to perform as a joined class with some of the band?

Even though that’d be a neat idea, if you go up to any strings member, they tend to be very enthusiastic about their work, and love chattering about the class. They let you in on every concert, wanting people to come and experience the music that they’ve been working on for months. As would any class that’s performing for the town on occasions they’re offered.

Mrs. Mann ever so obviously loves her job. She’s been teaching for four years, with three of those being in McPherson school district. Throughout all of her time here, she still enjoys it. She has a great relationship with the people taking her class.

Even though they’re a smaller group, they are very welcoming to people that aren’t in the same class. They’re a very social and funny group that all share the same enjoyment towards playing their strings instruments.

Since the class is smaller, they have become something similar to a family. There are 33 people taking strings in the High School. Three are Seniors, eight are Juniors, twelve are Sophomores, and ten are Freshmen. You have the members that are quiet, and then the members that joke and prod a bit. Despite all of the different people, the class would never be the same without all of those personalities.

“It’s pretty great. We’re like a very dysfunctional family who learns music together.” Said Sais Vazquez, a Sophomore.

Even the youngest of them in high school have had four years of practice with the instrument that they work with, and the oldest of them have around seven. It’s amazing that they’ve stuck to what they’ve been working with for such an extended amount of time. For whatever reason it is, they’re tempted to stay in the class; whether it’s because of the people or for the instrument.

Nothing is better for an artist than being able to look out at the people in the crowd and hear their applause when they’ve finished. No matter how good or bad the performance may be, just them finishing it as a group makes their relationship stronger. It’s like the whole aura of the class changes from when they’re in class to when they’re up on stage. Even the most childish ones of them are prim and proper because they all have the same end goal- which is to show off what they’ve learned after a lot of work.

Their next performance is Feb. 26th. They’ve been practicing Contrapunctus I, The Gift, Themes From The Moldau, The Black Sea, Gymnopedies, Brandenburg Concerto, and Gavotte for almost three weeks. They have about four concerts a year, which they have the opportunity to look forward to.