Swaying along to the beat of your parents’ music, singing along with them in the car, getting signed up for an activity, or participating in an event for the community are all ways to discover a passion for performing.

“My first show in high school was the musical ‘Charlie Brown,’” performer Annie Ejchler said. “I was much more nervous to be performing in a new environment, having done theater summer camps, church play, community theater, and middle and elementary school theater prior to starting high school.”

Freshman year is the time that people get the most first-time jitters. Coming into a new school, learning new things, meeting different people and getting involved in activities are all contributing factors. Band, theater, orchestra and choir are places where people get to express themselves while meeting new people, making new friends and making memories.

“My freshman concert was definitely nerve-wracking and a completely different experience [compared to] my senior concerts,” choir member Chloe Burns said. “I was in choir in middle school, but nothing could have prepared me for the different environment of high school. Even though I still feel anxious, it’s more of an adrenaline rush.”

These concerts typically take place at the beginning of the school year. However, anxiety levels change with the person as they go through the years. Seniors graduating have gotten used to the first-performance-of-the-year anxiety, performing in front of a new crowd of people.

“The people I’ve met made it so worth the pain,” Burns said. “I’ve learned so much from everyone, and I’m grateful to be where I am and with the people I’ve met. The teachers and directors have also pushed me to be the best I could be.”

People naturally become better at the instrument they are playing and learn different techniques.

“During my freshman year of high school, I played lower parts and really looked up to the people playing higher parts,” french horn player Madilyn Smith said. “Now I’m at a point where I genuinely love seeing underclassmen improve over the year.”

Moving up and growing means the people around you are doing the same. As underclassmen begin the hobby they  choose to take on, they will soon have to watch the upperclassmen they looked up to leave and move on to greater things.

“I started in the symphonic orchestra and moved up to the philharmonic orchestra my junior year,” violinist Hector Patino said. “I’m definitely way better than I was four years ago.”