You would think a group of sixth-graders could make a lot of noise with a box of brass bells, but the students in the Maplewood K-8 hand bell ensemble do just the opposite: they make beautiful music.
“When I first came here in the fourth grade, I was amazed at how good they were,” said current Orca Echoes member and sixth-grader Dylan O’Day. “I thought, man, I want to learn to do that. It was so inspiring.”
Led by Maplewood music teacher Merrie Johnson, “Orca Echoes” is the only hand-bell group in the district.
Comprised of 11 sixth-graders, members are chosen through a annual competitive audition at the school. Last year, 40 students competed for the 11 available spots.
“It is kind of a big thing to get into,” said member Erinn McGraw. “But no one really gets jealous or anything.”
Students at Maplewood are first introduced to the hand bells in Johnson’s fifth grade music class. If they don’t make the Ensemble in sixth grade, students still get to practice the hand bells in music class.
Members of Orca Echoes get to tour the district throughout the year and perform at local school assemblies. In 1998 and 2002, the group was invited to play with the Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall.
“The only bad part was that I had to sit in the audience – I didn’t get to direct,” Johnson said. “But it was so much fun to watch the kids up there.”
The group will perform at the school’s eighth-grade graduation for the first time this year. Some of the members are excited – and some are a tad nervous.
“A lot of them have been in bell choir before and they might think they were better than us,” member Ryan McCormick said.
“It’ll give me something to do, since I have to be there anyway,” said Joshua Blaisdell, whose brother Eli, a former Orca Echoes member, will be graduating this year.
Being a part of Orca Echoes can be hard work.
Aside from weekly, hour-long rehearsals during lunch and recess all year long, group members must take painstakingly good care of the bells.
Made of brass, they are easily tarnished and prone to chipping, and commonly need repairs after eight or so years of use, Johnson said. The bells used in Orca Echoes were bought 10 years ago for about $8,500, and have never needed to be repaired.
“These students take pride in being a part of this group, and treat the bells so gently,” Johnson said.
That pride is what also seems to make the music even sweeter for members of Orca Echoes.
“They all get to be really good friends, and they bond very closely, much like a sports team,” Johnson said.
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