The Musicians Research: Orchestras

As part of my musicians research I felt it was mandatory to do research into orchestras as these school children are obviously part of one and it is the fundamental aspect of this script. 

An orchestra is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classic music. An orchestra combines instruments from different families;

• String instruments such as the violin, cello, viola and double bass.
• Woodwinds such as the flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon.
• Brass instruments such as the horn, trombone, trumpet and tuba.
• Percussion instruments such as the timpani, cymbals, triangle and tambourine

Other instruments in the orchestra sometimes include a piano, harp or celesta.

A large orchestra is sometimes called 'a symphony orchestra' or 'a philharmonic orchestra' and may have about 100 players whereas a small orchestra is called s 'chamber orchestra' and has about 30-40 musicians. The number of musicians will depend on what music they are playing and the size of the venue that they are playing. 

The word 'orchestra' originally meant the semi-circular space in front of a stage in a Greek theatre which is where the singer and instruments used to play. Gradually the word became to mean the musicians themselves. Each section of the orchestra will have a player who is the 'boss' and all of the other people in that family follow them.                                                                                                                                                               Every orchestra has a conductor; the orchestra is directed by a conductor. The conductor helps the musicians play together to get the right balance so that everything can be heard loud and clear.

Some small chamber orchestras may even play without a conductor.

I feel it is only right of me to talk about the timpani as that is the instrument that I play in musicians when I am not Alex. The timpani is part of the percussion family. Percussion instruments are played by either hitting, shaking or scraping them to produce sound. There are two types of percussion instruments; pitched and unpitched. This means that some of the percussion instruments can produce differently pitched notes whereas others make a sound with a definite pitch. 

The timpani is also called a kettle drum and it is a large copper bowl drum with drumheads made of plastic or calf skin. Timpani can be tuned to specific notes by stretching or loosening the drumheads with a foot pedal. It's played by striking the top with a mallet or wooden drumstick to create the sound. There tends to be at least four timpani in an orchestra, each one tuned to a different note.

I also completed a bit of research into why a semi-circle shape is used for an orchestra. We traditionally see orchestras in this shape and I didn't know why until today.

Simply, the orchestra is in a semi-circle shape due to projection of sound. Orchestras began as acoustic ensembles without electronic enhancements. Therefore, the rule of thumb is quieter instruments at the front and louder instruments at the back.  

 To go more in depth into my research and get the inside scoop of a musician in an orchestra, I interviewed my friend Nick Booth who is part of the Tees Valley Youth Orchestra. I wanted insight into the mind of a musician to gain further knowledge and understand what's going on behind the exterior. I really felt as though I learned a lot from Nick and I feel very blessed that I know him as he is not only a fabulous musician with a lot of passion, but a lovely person too. 

I feel as though I have learned a lot more about orchestras now and I'm very glad that I spoke to Nick as he gave me much more insight than any website ever could. I have gained a much deeper understanding and respect for musicians and their craft after my research. I hope I can make orchestras and Nick proud in my performance and I will try my best to do them Justice!