OMS 8th graders performing at Orchestra Hall

Eighth grade orchestra students are set to cap off their time at Owatonna Middle School at the biggest string venue in the state.

The OMS eighth grade orchestra will perform Monday, April 15, at the MNSOTA Middle Level Orchestra Festival. OMS is one of eight schools in the state to qualify for the event, which will be hosted by Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.

Looking back on her time at OMS — which will draw to a close in less than two months — violinist Leah Leckner marvels at how the orchestra has grown.

“I think it’s kind of cool to see how good we’ve gotten. Because in sixth grade — you could tell we were in sixth grade,” said Leckner.

The students earned the right to perform at the event thanks to a strong showing at a competition in Minnetonka last month.

“You could kind of feel that we were doing good and that everything was just on point,” said cellist Zach Roesner.

“I’d say we cooked,” added violinist Jackson Holder.

Bassist Kaelin Hernandez said the prospect of performing in the prestigious venue is both “nerve-racking” and exciting.

“It’s a really big building,” said Hernandez.

The orchestra students have been rehearsing two pieces, entitled “Fantasia for Strings” and “Conquistador,” for the concert.

John Rivers, who plays viola, said there are moments in the pieces that spotlight a particular section, making the slightest mistake very noticeable.

“I feel like we’re ready though, because we’ve been playing them for so long and I feel like every section is confident,” added Leckner.

Those pieces were handpicked by their teacher, Jennifer Arco Bellefeuille, who said she strives to find music that suits the personalities and interests of her students.

She encourages her students to bring their own interpretation to the music. Rather than striving for complete fidelity to the text, she asks them to consider how and why music impacts people.

“I just don’t agree with playing what’s on the page, because that’s not interesting for anybody. It’s like regurgitating a poem... Do you know what it means to have this crescendo, do you know what it means to make the notes short? Why are the notes short? Don’t just do it because it says to. I think that’s an important part, and I’m not afraid to let kids make decisions and do things beyond what’s on the page,” said Arco Bellefeuille.

Owatonna students have performed at the MNSOTA Middle Level Orchestra Festival many times before, but this time she’s taking over 40 sixth and seventh grade orchestra students to watch the older kids perform.

The field trip ties into one of Arco Bellefeuille’s main goals for this year — building a sense of community around the middle school orchestra program.

Twenty-one of her students will also perform Saturday at the Excel Honors Orchestra in Albert Lea, directed by former Owatonna High School orchestra teacher Mark Gitch.

“For me, it’s exciting. For them, they’re probably very nervous,” she chuckled.

Another group of her students joined the Bethany Honor String Orchestra in February. Arco Bellefeuille said these experiences help make orchestra a more prominent aspect of kids’ lives.

“I have had nothing but the most lovely year, in terms of commitment and kids being dedicated and jazzed about orchestra again,” she said.

For Rivers, who came up through the elementary orchestra when COVID restrictions were in place, middle school was his first opportunity to perform and practice with a large group. His time in the orchestra has taught him how effective music can be in uniting people.

“You’re with everybody and you’re making music and at that point, you don’t really care that it’s somebody that you may hate. You’re just making music with them,” said Rivers. “It gives you a sense of self-awareness and awareness of other people being there with you.”