String orchestra event draws 200 middle school, junior high students to River Campus

Surrounded on a stage by junior high and middle school students, Dr. Sara Edgerton led the musicians in a series of warm-ups before their orchestra rehearsal at the Bedell Performance Hall.

Edgerton, director of the orchestra and professor of cello and string bass at Southeast Missouri State University, instructed the students. "Eyes up. Beautiful sound. Perfect posture."

Edgerton raised her baton and, on cue, about 200 students played their instruments in the first rehearsal of the afternoon. The students were gathered Tuesday at the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus for the 13th annual Middle School and Junior High School String Orchestra Festival. Schools participating were Central Junior High School in Cape Girardeau, Fort Zumwalt South Middle School in St. Peters, Mo., Parkway Northeast Middle School in Creve Coeur, Mo., and Sikeston Middle School in Sikeston, Mo.

Throughout the nearly four-hour festival the students participated in a series of rehearsals at various rooms at the River Campus. The afternoon ended with a 20-minute performance at the Bedell Performance Hall.

Edgerton said the festival gave the students a chance to hone their musical skills around peers from other schools.

"Many times it's the high school students that have the opportunity to play in events like this," Edgerton said. "But it's good for this age group to meet others who are interested in this music."

Some students voiced excitement at the festival.

"I've been playing since last year and I'm really interested in how I'll play out there," said Sara Carwile, an eighth-grader from Central Junior High School. "I'm looking forward to learning more from other musicians."

Meanwhile, others admitted a bit of nervousness.

"I like music in general and thought playing here would be a lot of fun," said Taylor Reynolds, an eighth-grader from Sikeston Middle School. "And this facility is so cool. It's twice as big as the gym we play in at my school."

But in the end, Peggy Craig, a teacher at Parkway Northeast Middle School, said the festival instilled confidence in the students.

"A lot of them have had older brothers and sisters do this trip, so it's exciting for them to go," said Craig, whose group of 85 was the school's largest ever to participate in the festival. "It's such a special trip for them all."