The Lightning Letter spoke to Choir Director Tyler Meredith and some of his students about the orchestra this week. The upcoming fine arts concert on December 14 will bring a lot of new stuff and surprises and also involve the dance group.

Here at James Lawson we have two groups that have violins, violas, cellos and basses, a beginning group and an advanced group. They have been working on music since the beginning of October, and for those upcoming events, they are finally ready to perform it.

“We are looking forward to play on the December 14th concert and with the dancers for a ballet piece that is coming up on December 2nd. We just had our first rehearsal the other day and it gives me goosebumps. That was a really rush for me to see– it’s a perfect match,” Meredith said.

The students of the orchestra and the ballet are very excited and happy about this cooperation and can’t wait to show it to everyone.

The orchestra class is a really enjoyable place, from how the students said, the group loves play together and loves Mr. Meredith. 

“Mr. Meredith is always funny and kind – we have a good time!” senior Bailey Villers said.

Also Mr. Meredith loves his students.

“I enjoy meeting freshmen and then seeing them progress, all the way to a senior. So I get to see them when they are at their most awkward, and then see them graduate, go off to college, become professionals, maybe get married, have kids and then they come back and say something like, ‘hey, remember that song we did?’” Meredith said.

Mr. Meredith said that one of his goals as a teacher is to get his students to be independent enough that they would go out after school and continue playing. 

“People that play football  or run track in high school  that end after a time, but music, you can do that the rest of your life,” Meredith said. “There are moments in class that feels like I’m conducting like a movie soundtrack and I’m really really privileged to do that.”

There will also be new and exciting stuff arriving after December 14th, something that they have never done before. 

“I have three really good seniors and they play violin, violin and cello and we are gonna perform an original piece of music. It’s from the Baroque period and it’s for three soloists and then a small orchestra that it’s going to highlight them. I’m really excited about it, it’s going to be really really cool,” Meredith said.