DRAPER — The orchestra ensemble at Juan Diego Catholic High School holds a special place in the heart of not only the instructor, but also that of the student musicians.
“For many of my students, orchestra is their favorite class,” said Denisse Vallecillos, who has been the school’s director of orchestras since 2017. She also is the director of the Academy of Fine Arts, which has students from Saint John the Baptist Middle and elementary schools and well as JDCHS. All three schools are on the Skaggs Catholic Center campus in Draper.
Natalia C., a senior at JDCHS, joined the orchestra when she was in sixth grade and has found it a good experience, she said.
“When I was younger I pretended to be a violinist in a group my mom listened to, and one of my friends played the violin and was very good even at age 5, so that made me think that playing the violin would be fun,” she said. “Playing in orchestra has been different from playing piano because this is a group and there are so many different parts and harmonies that can add to the songs.”
Vallecillos said some students have shared with her that they have gotten to play some of their favorite compositions “as well as a large variety of fantastic modern works where they are challenged, have successful moments, and have fun.”
Mathew M., a JDCHS freshman who has been playing music for 11 years, agreed that the class has exposed him to a variety of musical compositions. “Being in an orchestra has introduced me to more songs than just the smaller selection that I had as a solo performer and has let me experience more people,” he said.
The Skaggs Center orchestras are comprised of between 10 to 15 students at the elementary level, 30 students at the middle school level and around 20 students at the high school.
Every morning there is also an optional orchestra comprised of around 10 middle and high school students. This chamber orchestra occasionally presents pop/rock music separate from the other three string orchestras.
The Skaggs Center orchestras join the school choirs in offering music ministry at almost every high school or combined-schools Mass, Vallecillos said.
“It is great to see our music department represented in some way, and where our orchestra can help participate in the spiritual communication of our beautiful [liturgical] music to the student body,” Vallecillos said.
In addition, the middle and high school orchestras have at least one concert every quarter.
“They love performing movie music, modern composers’ music, as well as the classics,” she said.
For the past two years, the orchestras also have had the opportunity to be involved in the school’s music videos.
“Our students get to go to a professional recording studio to record the music for the music video, then they take part in the filming of the video as well,” Vallecillos said.
Music teaches more than just how to play an instrument, she explained.
“My orchestra students learn many life skills, such as how to receive feedback, how to communicate effectively, and how to participate socially as a unified group,” Vallecillos said.
The students also gain skills such as hard work, discipline and perseverance “through the study and performance of music. … Music can really become a permanent part of their lives,” she said, adding that she knows of many alumni who still play in various community or college ensembles.
According to Dr. John Dani, PhD, chairman of Neuroscience at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, playing an instrument may be one of the best ways to help a person keep the brain healthy.
“It engages every major part of the central nervous system,” Dani said in an study from the Penn Medicine Institute a world-renowned academic medical center in Philadelphia.
“Life is more interesting when you have music,” Vallecillos said.
The latest music video featuring the orchestra may be viewed by scanning the QR code below or visiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M6qvc0AW2E--
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