Orchestric music echos throughout the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Fox Fine Arts Hall as the Symphony Orchestra performs. The symphonic ensemble includes strings, winds, brass and percussion. Each semester the ensemble displays their musicianship at their concerts. While their performances show off their talent, what the audience may not see is the hours of hard work, dedication and preparation that go into making music come to life.
Starting each week on Monday through Thursday, the symphony practices from 3:00-4:20 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays are for full ensemble rehearsals while Tuesdays and Thursdays are dedicated to string-only rehearsals. In addition to the already set practice times, members of the orchestra are required to attend a sectional rehearsal once per week.
The dedication from the Miner musicians runs deep. Andrea Melendez, a violinist who has been playing for well over a decade and three full years with the UTEP symphony, believes that the ensemble’s performance begins with one musician.
“Definitely the hardest part of preparation is the ensemble,” Melendez said. “It’s a lot of listening, a lot of making sure that you’re on time as well as knowing your own part, so the preparation begins with, you know, rehearsing it by yourself.”
Once in the symphony, some musicians found the transition into university concert music a difficult one but have persevered through their passion for the arts.
Ari Macias, a sophomore and violinist for the UTEP symphony feels that the experience in the ensemble is unlike any other music he has played before.
“It’s a really big change because of the level of music and the work you have to put in,” Macias said. “It’s very different because in high school it’s not hard music but in college, that’s your job, so you have to put in more work to be good at it.”
Once the musicians hit the stage, the countless hours of work and diligence accumulate together for a beautiful performance for the audience and an unforgettable experience for the musicians.
Joseph Gonzalez, a senior cellist has been with the UTEP symphony orchestra for eight full semesters and still gets the same feeling every time he performs on stage.
“It is a kind of weird adrenaline rush. I think it’s a lot of nerves and excitement type of thing. It’s one of those things that you spend a lot of time getting ready to do so when you’re doing it you feel like you’re doing well,” Gonzalez said. “The adrenaline feels good, it just feels like you’re doing something that you really enjoy.”
The UTEP symphony orchestra holds three to four concerts each semester. While audiences can enjoy the sounds of beautiful melodies, without the long periods musicians take to rehearse and prepare the concerts wouldn’t be as rewarding as they are.
Joseph Montero is a staff reporter for The Prospector and may be reached at [email protected].
