On April 10, students from MacArthur will be performing at Segerstrom High School with the other students from the Santa Ana Unified School District.  There was a total of 23 MacArthur students chosen to perform based on personal auditions. On March 19, the chosen students began their practices in Segerstrom.

In order to achieve a position in the honor orchestra, students had to record themselves playing three selected pieces of music and scales. Once the students were done, Instrumental Music Teacher Dr. Aretha Holdcroft turned in the recordings to be assessed.

After getting the results of how many people will be in honor orchestra, Holdcroft was so proud of the 23 students who got in. “OMG, I’m extremely proud of the students who got in since we had very little time to prepare,” Holdcroft said.

Dalila Alvarez, seventh grade, said, “When Ms.Holdcroft said I got in, I was very happy and I felt good because we had so little time to practice, and since we got a little time I thought I wouldn’t get in.”  Applying students only had two weeks, from the announcement to the deadline, to turn in their audition recording.

Holdcroft has been participating in honor orchestra for 11 years at MacArthur.  “There is an honor orchestra class because we to get students to perform at their best, and when they do perform, students get a medal,” Holdcroft said.  

The honor orchestra will be playing three songs, “Night Shift,” “Reverie,” and “Fantasia.” MacArthur students were selected to play the violin, viola, cello, and bass in the honors orchestra.  Twelve seventh-graders and eleven eighth graders will be performing.

Every rehearsal, students must wear proper attire.  For performing, all clothing must be black.  Students have to dress professionally as if they were to perform that same day.