120 STRING PLAYERS PERFORM AT SEMO

For 30 minutes Thursday, 120 seventh- and eighth-grade student musicians from three different schools got to feel the heat of the stage lights and the thrill of performing in a large concert.

In the first of what might become an annual event, Southeast Missouri State University sponsored a string orchestra workshop for students from Cape Central Junior High School, Parkway Northeast Middle School in St. Louis and Sikeston Middle School.

From noon to 4 these students practiced on the stage of the Academic Auditorium, learning the different rhythms and expectations of a large group of musicians.

"It's exciting to play with such a large orchestra," said Dr. Sara Edgerton, orchestra conductor and a member of the university's music department. "It's a very special kind of sound you can get from a group like that."

The concert was four songs, which Edgerton described as American folk music.

"During the course of the afternoon they've really learned to listen much more and play much better together," she said. "This gives them a little taste of a more professional situation and it's also a reward. All of these students have worked very hard in the their programs all year."

The musicians were composed of eighth-graders from Cape Central and seventh-graders from Parkway and Sikeston.

"With string instruments, especially in middle school, there's always safety in numbers," said Steve Schaffner, workshop organizer. "The more kids you have the less out-of-tune problems you have."

"The focus of the day has been to play some music with a little bit of pressure knowing they were going to have to perform this stuff before the day was over," he added.

The workshop also dealt with small details like how to sit, bow holds and techniques, said Schaffner, the orchestra director for the Cape Girardeau public schools.

"They have to adapt, be flexible and do things a little differently than we would in class as far as tempo or dynamics or anything like that," he said. "It's been pretty successful and the kids have enjoyed it so it might be something that we'll try again next year."

Lindsay Murnan, a seventh-grader from Parkway, said she wasn't nervous, didn't mind sitting right up front and thought the music was pretty easy to play.

"It's kind of hard because everyone's playing at different paces. So we're not all together," she said. "You have to pay attention to the conductor."

Tammy Elias of Cape Girardeau took the afternoon off from work to watch her daughter Emily perform.

"She was excited," Elias said. "She packed her lunch for this last night."

Elias likes the idea of having a reward for the student's efforts and would like to see more concerts in the future.

"I'm always impressed every time I come to one of their concerts about how much they have improved," she said. "They're in junior high, and for Emily she doesn't take any private lessons it's just what she learns in school. This is the culmination of all the practice. They work hard every day."