This year, Shadow Ridge High School Orchestra students excelled in their instruments as four students were selected to be part of the CCSD Honors Orchestra. The students selected include seniors KellyJo Poulsen and Anna Leavitt on violin, junior Aspen Stevens also on violin, and junior Grace Dunn on the cello.
Students had to audition for a place in the CCSD Honors Orchestra by playing specific excerpts and scales given to them in front of a judge. Their entire audition was also recorded for the judge’s future reference. For two months, the orchestra met and practiced once a week at Clark High School, increasing the amount of rehearsals in the week as they got closer to the concert. The performances took place in UNLV’s Ham Concert Hall on November 8, 2024.
Poulsen has been playing violin for a total of 13 years, since she was only five years old. This year marks her fifth year of being a part of the CCSD Honors Orchestra.
She shares, “Connecting with other orchestra participants in CCSD has been very fun and has allowed me to make connections with others that I would normally not. The orchestra was very fun and I had a blast with my stand partner, Anna Leavitt!”
Leavitt is another senior violinist from Shadow Ridge High School who is in CCSD’s Honor Orchestra for the second time this year. She has been playing violin since she was five years old, and a total of about 12 years.
Leavitt explains, “One of my favorite things about being in the program is being able to play alongside so many other talented musicians and getting to meet new people who share the same interests. We had tons of fun, but were also able to learn our music and share the art we created with those who came to watch the performance.”
Dunn was the only cellist among the three violinists from Shadow Ridge to make it into CCSD’s Honors Orchestra. She has been playing the cello for five years now, since she was 11 years old. She was excited to join the CCSD Honors Orchestra.
“It was nice being able to be part of an ensemble playing such high level and diverse music. I learned a lot while I was there that I never had in my other ensembles. It was so cool to meet new people and create some pretty cool music,” Dunn remarks.
To refine her musical skills to get herself to the level she is at now, Dunn has put in a lot of time and hard work. She observes, “It has taken a lot of pain and practice over the course of multiple years. I’ve had weekly lessons and been part of numerous ensembles that, while strenuous, have made for some great experiences. I’m still not as good as I’d like to be, but string instruments are so versatile that there’s always something to improve on!”
Dunn strongly encourages and recommends everybody to pick up and start learning an instrument.
“You can learn at any age and take those skills all throughout your life!”
