Although this is the ninth time the orchestra has won the prestigious competition, a state record, winning competitions or racking up accolades is not their goal, said Ross, who is chief program director for Plano West Senior. High Orchestra.

“For me, music isn’t necessarily about winning awards or winning trophies,” he said. “It’s about making good music and providing a good culture that kids can be a part of, to create something bigger than any of us.”

Even in rehearsals for competitions such as the UIL or recording submissions to the TMEA Honor Orchestra, the fundamentals have not changed. Good sound production, intonation, timing accuracy and a unified sense of musicality are all things Ross focuses on for any performance.

“We must always strive to do our best, no matter the circumstances,” Ross said. “So when we prepare for the UIL or the honor orchestra, I don’t think we do it much differently than we would for a normal, ordinary, generic rehearsal. I don’t think that really changes just because you’re preparing for a competition.

In choosing the music to perform, Ross said he chose quality music that would be worth repeating for a six- to eight-week concert cycle. He also made sure to build a well-balanced program but with contrasting pieces to demonstrate the versatility of the orchestra.

“Brahms, Beethoven, Dvořák, I mean, those are all top composer names that I would say most people recognize,” he said. “So it’s like an English class, you know, you read quality authors, you read Shakespeare, or Dickens or whatever. In orchestra, we play the great classics of some of these composers.

Although there is no rubric for judging, judges look for things like blending, balance, intonation and phrasing, Ross said.

“But each of those individual elements is a subjective determination,” he said. “That said, the judges don’t just sit and feel who they think the winner should be either. They listen and evaluate very critically. [the performance].”

But the competition is tough.

Honorary Orchestra Competition finalists sound on par with professional ensembles. And since students only attend PWSH for two years in grades 11 and 12, the solid musical foundation that students receive in previous middle and high schools is paramount. Rice, Robinson, Renner, and Frankford colleges feed Jasper and Shepton high schools, which in turn feed Plano West.

“The reason Plano West is successful in the Orchestra of Honor is because of the education kids received in schools before us,” Ross said. “Six, seven years, taught by just amazing educators. And then I’m in a very lucky position to be able to bring them together and then make music.

There are more factors that come into play that allow PWSH students to perform at such a high level. Involvement with certified Kodály music teachers, private lessons outside of school, and just PWSH’s legacy of continued excellence inspires new students to perform at their best.

“We have people who were born to teach orchestra in middle school. Like, that’s where their candle shines the most, because they’re such experts with that age level and getting students started,” Ross said. “[Students] also know that they are part of the Plano West orchestra system. They know it’s a successful group to be part of.

As individual players, 10-15 students typically form a TMEA All-State Orchestra each year from Plano West. They have won concerto competitions organized by the GDYO (Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra), the Plano Symphony Orchestra and the Allen Philharmonic. Additionally, in addition to success at UIL and the TMEA Honor Orchestra competition, Plano West has performed at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago.

For Ross, venues like the TMEA Music Educators Convention, where the Plano West Symphony Orchestra will perform next February following their first place finish in the Orchestra Honors Competition, are great opportunities to people to enjoy the fruits of some of the best musical education. programs in the country.

“I was going to these performances as a young teacher, and my jaw would drop to the floor. It’s like, ‘Holy cow. I had no idea a high school string orchestra, a full high school orchestra could sound like that,” Ross said. “But I think it’s also helpful for directors to see what’s possible and to see what we’re all looking for. What can someone actually do with a high school band? »

Another key Plano West figure was Jackie Digby, group director at Plano West. He was supposed to lead the UIL performance alongside Ross, but it was postponed due to snowy days and he was unable to attend the rescheduled performance. However, Digby greatly assisted Ross in rehearsing the musicians.

Ross also works closely with the orchestra’s associate director, Amy Gross, who is “the heart” of the orchestra’s program, he said.

“She’s like the mama bear that all the students love, and they’re in her office all the time,” he said. “She creates such a welcoming and loving environment for them. I can’t imagine our orchestral program (…) without Amy as a central, unifying and heartfelt person.

Even after all the laurels the Plano West orchestras have racked up over the years, Ross said he wasn’t a “big competition guy.”

“As I said earlier, I don’t think anyone has joined an orchestra to win a trophy,” he said. “There was something, another reason that attracted them.”

Ross credits music and the long-term commitment to learning an instrument as a valuable life skill, applicable not only to an orchestral setting, but to other areas as well. No one can master an instrument in just a year or two, he said.

“Whatever you want to do in your life, you’ll need the ability to set those long-term goals and gradually get there,” he said. “And that is something that is demonstrated in the study of music.”

More than winning competitions, more than anything, rehearsing with other musicians can help foster a sense of unity, Ross said.

“I think it’s so easy to get hung up on the ‘me, me, me’ in our culture, like, ‘What’s in it for me? What’s in it for me? “, he said. “And I think that’s one of the great things that music brings. It’s a chance to collaborate and work together as a team to just create one thing. of beauty, a work of art with the aim of creating it and releasing it into the universe as if throwing a dove.

In fact, Ross didn’t even tell his orchestra that he planned to submit the UIL recording to the Honor Orchestra, but instead focused on performing cohesively as an ensemble.

Despite the practical results of studying music, it’s more about the other lessons it teaches and reinforces, Ross said.

“And I just hope our society can recognize that and support it accordingly,” he said. “Things would be different if we didn’t have the means to develop our students as whole human beings.”

Ross’s students may not continue to pursue a musical field, but he hopes they can still retain the things he taught.

“If this is what children can take away from my lessons, a sense of humanity, empathy and the ability to cooperate and work for something that serves something greater than each of us , that’s what I ultimately want as a music teacher,” Ross said.