THE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA AT FIRTH - WHY THE ORCHESTRA EXISTS
As the Community Orchestra starts its 19th year it seems important to review once again why the orchestra exists. Perhaps in understanding why we exist we need to first articulate the negative. We do not exist to compete with the Idaho Falls Symphony, the BYU Orchestra the ISU Orchestra or any other orchestra. The Community Orchestra exi
sts to provide the opportunity for anyone who has ever played an instrument to dust that instrument off and come and play. The Community orchestra will never have auditions. Symphony orchestras have a specific number of trumpets, clarinets, horns etc. The Community Orchestra has no such limits. We will make every effort to produce wonderful music for the community with whatever mix of instruments we have. The Community Orchestra is all about community. We produce music because we can. We have faithful musicians that have been with the orchestra since it started in 2002. We have grown and gained players and the quality of the sound continues to improve the longer the orchestra is together. There are only two things asked of those who play in the Community Orchestra. One, that you come to rehearsals on Saturday morning and, two that you make the effort to be there and contribute the talent you have developed when the Orchestra performs. That’s it. We do this to have fun. We appreciate you as part of our orchestra community. When players are not there we miss them. When they are there we appreciate them, and everything they contribute to the conversation and to the music. We celebrate birthdays, we care about each member’s personal struggles and losses, and we are all encouraged and blessed by good news and personal success. The Community Orchestra is about community, and each individual, and each person’s unique contribution. In the process of community building the music only gets better. That is why we exist – and it is important that we remember that. The words “job” and “joy” only differ by one letter but the difference in the meaning is profoundly different. We hope that being part of the Community Orchestra will never be something you do for “the job” of it.
