As September 8th approached, masses of people found themselves drawn to the lakeside of Winged Deer Park. Whether it be due to the food, the music, or the awesome balloon animals, the concert was a huge success!
The Johnson City Symphony Orchestra started back in 1969 with 28 members and a dream. A dream of giving musicians the chance to perform. Over 9 conductors and more than 50 years, the Symphony has continued to collaborate and perform for the Tri-Cities area, bringing countless good memories and smiles to their audience. Nowadays, they have around 70 musicians with them, ranging from their orchestra players to woodwinds and everything in between. Together, they come to provide the community with thrilling performances.
As the Johnson City Symphony began to tune and prepare for the concert that lay ahead, the delicious smell of fried chicken began to fill the air. Amongst the food trucks was even the student-popular Kona Ice truck, which attracted several people in search of cooling off. Meanwhile, Science Hill’s very own orchestra had a handful of volunteers. They offered free face painting and balloon animals to eager crowd members. Face paint designs ranged anywhere from dragon scales to music notes and everything in between! Throughout the evening, student volunteers crafted flowers and teddy bears, along with lions and dogs. Some volunteers were even challenged to balloon sword duels by their ‘clients’!
As the first notes of the concert began to ring out, the flags were presented by JROTC members of Dobyns-Bennett. With that, the concert took off. The music was a sneak peek at the Symphony’s 24-25 musical season. Songs included ‘Star Spangled Banner’, ‘Blue Danube: waltz’, excerpts from ‘Chicago’ the musical, and even Star Trek!
Clapping could be heard throughout, smiles everywhere you looked. Children ran by the hills with their balloons and friends came together on picnic blankets to relax after a long week. Overall, Dr. Robert Seebacher, the Symphony’s music director, said that they had one of the biggest turnouts for this concert.
Didn’t make this past concert? Don’t worry, you can catch the next one! A full outline of future concerts, as well as information about the symphony, can be found at https://www.jcsymphony.com. While season tickets are available, students K-12 and young musicians can get in for free at educational concerts! Don’t miss out on another symphony concert, look into it today!
