SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) — The Sherman Symphony Orchestra performed Thursday to its largest and perhaps most excited audience of the year — 2,400 elementary school students from 20 local school districts.

“I don’t know how – it was rewarding,” said Yarelie Terrazas, a 5th grade Sherman ISD student. “It’s beautiful to listen to music.”

For its 21st annual educational children’s concert, the orchestra highlighted each instrument.

“Each student learned which instrument makes that sound,” said Kalyn McAlester, fine arts coordinator for Sherman ISD.

“I thought it was really beautiful,” Terrazas said. “I loved all the noises and sounds the instruments made.”

And then they put all the instruments together.

“They hear the fullness of it and their eyes light up,” McAlester said. “It clicked.”

The orchestra showed how the right notes combine to create familiar harmonies.

“I liked some of the people who put video game songs in there,” said Valentino Garcia, a 5th grade student at Sherman ISD.

Then it was the turn of the students.

The children were able to conduct as conductors and sing along.

“They said, ‘do you want to sing?’ And I was like, yeah,” McAlester said. “Oh my God, yes, because it’s amazing to put it all together.”

This concert is a first for many of these students, but judging by their faces, it won’t be the last.

“One of the reasons we do this, especially for fifth graders, is that we know a lot of people have the opportunity to start learning an instrument in sixth grade,” said Leslie Whelan, director of education at the Sherman Symphony Orchestra and cellist. .

Terrazas said she left the concert ready to join the college orchestra.

“I want to play the trumpet or the flute,” Terrazas said.

“It opens up their possibilities, so I want kids to see what they can do,” McAlester said.

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