For the first time ever, the district introduced an orchestra that high school students can participate in. The district-wide orchestra, Camerata, allows students from both Mill Valley and De Soto to work with the middle schoolers.

The introduction of the orchestra was aided by parents and students who have advocated for it in the past as well as the hiring of orchestra teacher Elena Kolbrek De Leon who teaches at all three  distrcit middle schools.

“There were a lot of families who have been asking for orchestra to be an option for students for a long time,” Kolbrek De Leon said. “Some of those families who advocated really hard for that their kids are now in high school, and so it’s just a small way that they can be involved, because they missed the window to really get to have it as a class.”

Junior Natalie Long, who plays the cello in the orchestra, is one student who has pushed to have an opportunity to play for the school.

“I was always kind of surprised that a district like ours that was really well off and has nice programs didn’t have something that was kind of basic,” Long said. “I’ve been helping make it happen and I was involved so of course I’m gonna be a part of it.”

While the introduction of a district-wide orchestra was exciting for many, with only four high schoolers involved they have to work with the middle schoolers which, according to Kolbrek De Leon, is a good opportunity for the middle schoolers.

“The high schoolers have a better idea of what it takes to commit to playing an instrument, because it’s something that they’ve done without being in an orchestra,” Kolbrek De Leon said. “They also understand carrying the responsibility of being part of a group.”

Long agrees with Kolbrek De Leon that the high schoolers areimportant to be leaders in the program.

“It’s really nice especially when you’re learning music and you’re a bit newer to the instrument, if in an orchestra setting to have those people you can kind of follow and listen to while you play,” Long said.