Students in grades three to 12 performed in String-O-Rama at Trottier Middle School on January 15, showcasing the development of students in the district’s string program.

The four performance groups were the Woodward Elementary School, Neary Elementary School, Trottier Middle School and Algonquin orchestras. Each group demonstrates a different skill level of string player, from basic rhythm to advanced technique.

“I love this event,” Algonquin Fine and Performing Arts department chair and orchestra conductor Amy Collins said. “I love it for the younger students and the older students to see where they started and where they ended with their instrument and sticking with music.”

Each group performed two songs on their own, and then came together to perform the song “Sahara Crossing” as a grand finale.

The goal of String-O-Rama is to highlight the progression of players as they grow older, motivating younger players to continue with music.

“I think the idea is to get everyone excited about playing a string instrument and going through from one school to the next and hearing the advancement of each age group, and we certainly did that,” Trottier band director Jamison Clark said.

Although the event went well overall, combining players with varying ages and skill levels can be challenging.

“Playing with people of different skill levels is always a challenge, but it’s very reassuring to do it in one big group and to succeed,” senior cellist Veronika Jaster said.

Behind the scenes, lots of preparation was required for String-O-Rama to run smoothly.

“[Setting up for String-O-Rama] is a challenge because you have to figure out what time we’re gonna meet, where we’re gonna meet, what pieces we’re gonna play, what combined piece we’re gonna do, then you have the t-shirts, then if you meet early enough you have to feed everybody, get water, you have to ask the Trottier basketball teams to cancel their game and reschedule, there’s so many different parts to get the whole thing going,” Clark said.

Overall, String-O-Rama was a success and is planned to continue in the upcoming years.

“It’s great for the the older kids to look back and to say ‘oh that’s what I sounded like when I was in third grade and I was a beginner’ and ‘wow I’ve worked hard and it’s paid off,’” Collins said.