For the fourteenth year running, UW-Superior and the UWS Orchestra welcomed visiting musicians from both Superior High School and Superior Middle School for its annual “Superior String Day.”
Alongside her colleagues and friends, Jenna Mattson (Director of SMS Orchestra) and Amy Eichers (Director of SHS Orchestra), UWS Orchestra director and professor of viola and viola Dr. Erin Aldridge once again helmed the event. The trio understood the importance of the three schools’ partnership, though even they sometimes get surprised.
“One of the (middle school) students went up to Mattson after the concert and said, ‘I was gonna do choir, but can I change my mind?’” said Aldridge, who spoke about how, through the longevity of the event, she is even seeing some of those first middle schoolers all those years ago in university orchestras. “Students in the middle school are staying (in orchestra) now, and then they go to Superior High School and those numbers are continuing, and I’m getting quite a few of those people both as majors, minors, and non-majors.”
UW-Superior Orchestra Director Dr. Erin Aldridge conducts students during rehearsal for Superior Strings Day. Photo by Sky Abdullayeva | The Promethean
For UWS students taking part in Superior String Day, the concert brings back memories of why these types of events are so impactful for younger musicians. “I played bass throughout middle school and high school, and stuff like this is why I’m still doing it and going to school for it now,” said Marcus Juusola, a music performance major and member of the UWS Orchestra.
For future music educators in the UWS Orchestra, Superior String Days offers even more to be excited about.“I like the fact that we have a range of high schoolers to middle schoolers who play a lot to nothing, and it’s really cool that they can all come together and play together ‘cause it shows that even a beginner can play with advanced people and make cool music,” said music education major and orchestra member Hendrick Hicks. “It’s also cool as a future educator to see these little kids so excited to play music.”
UW-Superioir Orchestra Director Amy Eichers smiles towards the audience during rehearsals for Superior Spring Day. Photo by Sky Abdullayeva | The Prometheann
In the end, though, the day is simply about camaraderie between orchestra musicians of all ages and, occasionally, offers some appreciated mentorship and guidance for those just beginning their musical journey.“Helping out the basses when they’re doing something that they haven’t encountered before or that they’re not quite used to and showing them how that works, and seeing how it just clicks for them a lot of the time, that’s really cool too, seeing all those connections that they make,” said Juusola.
The yearly event, which was held on Feb. 4, hosted more than 70 musicians from the three schools and was once again free to all attendees.
