by Sue Haylock, Instrumental Music Teacher

Year 9 Music student Darcy Fynmore was invited to perform in the Percussion Section for the Maroondah Symphony Orchestra’s end of year concert.

Darcy gained valuable rehearsal, organisation and performance skills playing with the local Ringwood based orchestra, demonstrating his counting and percussion playing skills, whilst performing on the crash cymbals and bass drum.

Darcy’s prior music reading experience from playing in many of the school’s Music Department ensembles served him well. Darcy demonstrated the ability to be able to count through long passages of rests, listening for instrument cues, whilst watching the conductor, reading his music, coming in at the right time, in time and at the correct volume! This is not an easy feat. A keen sense of rhythm, time, pulse and detailed organisation are essential attributes for a performing percussionist.

Under the direction of conductor Gyula Cseszko, the almost sixty piece orchestra performed ‘Classics from the Movies,’ including major works by John Williams, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Verdi, Khachaturian, Beethoven and Barber.

Darcy is to be congratulated on his efforts, where, alongside his Percussion Teacher, he gained a taste of what it is like to play in a ‘real’ orchestra and how heavy the hand cymbals are to hold, lift and crash in time!!