Pete Moye’
Arts Button

Director of Orchestra David Betancourt and the Cerritos College Orchestra are preparing for this fall’s Orchestra Exchange concert, which takes place Oct. 21 at the Student Center.

“If we don’t have all the members contributing toward the same goal it becomes very difficult and stressful to deal with,” Betancourt said.

Betancourt explains that the students must work together in order to have a productive rehearsal.

He also added how preparing for the ensemble can be stressful and it’s like you’re working backward.

First, he said he has to know what day the concert will be, then he has to schedule rehearsal time and the day of the performance arrives sooner than later.

Betancourt described the day of the concert as the time when he is most relaxed.

“Whatever is going to happen is going to happen. We’re just going to have a good time, try to enjoy ourselves and really try to connect with the audience“.

Music education major Janet Cisneros, who plays the clarinet, said the benefit of being a part of the orchestra is the feeling she gets when people applaud and being able to reach out to people through her music.

Cisneros has been playing the clarinet since the sixth-grade, along with other instruments all in the Woodwind family.

For Cisneros this is her fifth semester participating in the Cerritos College Orchestra, and although being a part of the Orchestra is something different for her she enjoys performing in front of people.

Trumpet player and music education major Gabriel Garcia has been playing the trumpet for 14 years. Garcia knew he wanted to play the trumpet when he was only 5 years old.

His inspiration came from both his older brother, who introduced the trumpet to him, and the radio station KUSC.

Along with Orchestra, Garcia has also played Jazz and Mariachi. Garcia’s goals as a musician include playing for a Symphonic Orchestra professionally.

These musicians are dedicating time in class to plan, along with consistent practice, in order to be prepared.

The Orchestra Exchange concert will be free to the public starting at 7 p.m.

For more information, please visit www.cms.cerritos.edu/music/