It is not every day that one receives the opportunity of a lifetime, but these Cobb County students are preparing to deliver one of the biggest performances they’ve ever seen. Dodgen Middle School’s own Chamber Orchestra has been invited to perform at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago during the Holiday Season this December. This prestigious opportunity is a first for the East Cobb school, serving as one of only two middle schools in the nation invited to attend.
“An invitation to perform at the Midwest Clinic is the highest honor any orchestra or band can receive in the nation,” said Orchestra Director Evelyn Champion. “It is the equivalent of winning the Super Bowl. We applied by audition with a recording and video of our orchestra. A panel of judges chose us from hundreds of applicants based on our performance.”
Since 2005, Dodgen’s Chamber Orchestra has remained an elite, audition-only ensemble for any interested sixth to eighth-grade orchestra student. The Midwest Clinic performance will also feature Dodgen Walton alumnus Andrew Sommer, a current member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He will join the students in playing the “Koussevitsky Bass Concerto”. Also serving as the only band or ensemble selected to participate in the state of Georgia, the students excitedly prepare for their Chicago debut.
“I am so excited to be going to Chicago to represent Dodgen, Cobb County schools, and the state of Georgia at the Midwest Clinic,” said eighth-grade Concert Master, Bella Xie. “This is a huge honor for the Chamber Orchestra and for Dodgen as a whole. It’s going to be such an amazing trip, and I know I will remember this wonderful experience for the rest of my orchestra journey.”
According to their website, the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference offers guests interested in music education an array of clinics and exhibits, as well as access to music and teaching icons. The conference will also focus on industry trends and future topics in business and music education. With more than 18,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 40 countries, the Midwest Clinic offers music educators and musicians alike an “unmatched networking opportunity”.
“I cannot adequately express how excited we are for this opportunity,” said Orchestra Director Ashley Culley. “These students have worked so very hard to get here. They are now seeing the fruits of their hard work.”
In preparation for the big performance, they will have a Midwest Preview Concert on Thursday, December 4, at 7pm in Walton High School’s theater. For more information about the orchestra or to follow their journey to Chicago in December, visit their website at www.DodgenOrchestra.org.
