Wichita State University will host an orchestra festival on Tuesday April 4. In attendance, there will be the school orchestra as well as orchestras from other towns.

“We’re going to be playing for their orchestra director, Dr. Mark Laycock,” instructor Joan Crull said. “He will clinic us and work with us on our contest pieces.”

Laycock is an Associate Professor of Music at WSU. He can be found serving as the Director of Orchestras as well as the Coordinator of Strings.

There will also be two string professors listening in on the playing orchestras.

“Also, two string professors will adjudicate us and give us hints about what we can improve, so we can be the best we can be at contest on April 13,” Crull said.

For the three, the students will play two pieces.

“They’re playing their two contest pieces,” Crull said. “One is Sinfonia by Bach and the other is Carpe Diem by Richard Meyer.”

According to Crull, the orchestra has attended this occurrence three or four different times and will continue as long as they are able.

“I like to go every year that we can fit it in to our schedule,” Crull said.

While Crull expects the students to do well, this year, she knows that there are still a few things that need remodeled.

“There are still a few things to iron out yet, but I think that we’ll be proud of our performance,” Crull said. “We’ll get some good ideas of things to make it even better.”

19ibraun@usd489.com