Orchestra Fosters Community and Friendly Competition at Section Poster Social 

Catharine Li, Horizon Editor-in-Chief| September 12, 2022

  • Painting intently, Vivian Hapka ’26 fills in the remaining white spots on the first violin section poster. Hapka’s section developed the idea of a racetrack and ‘first place’ win for their poster.

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  • Working together to paint the viola section poster, freshmen Magnolia Hance and Saanika Parikh chat amongst themselves, getting to know each other in the process. Interactions between different sections were also facilitated in the form of friendly competition.

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  • Finalizing the image of a bass fish, Carla Canfran ’25 and Ava Domingue ’25 were a two-person team representing the bass section across all Westwood performing ensembles. Word play was a common theme seen on many section posters.

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  • Sketching part of the viola section poster, Rheya Kurian ’26 works on outlining the design to color with paint. The violas incorporated a number of references to different iterations of their instrument, most notably, the popularized YouTube channel ‘TwoSet Violin,’ appropriately dubbed ‘TwoSet Viola.’

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Arms outstretched to reach the nearest paint brush, necks craned around a butcher paper canvas, where students, keen on deciphering the many themes and symbols dispersed in pencil outline, made finishing touches to a crowd of curious peers. Attending the “Section Poster Social,” orchestra members enjoyed an afternoon of ice cream and art on Friday, Sept. 9. 

Held yearly, the event invites students to collaborate with those playing their same instrument but across different performing ensembles—in an opportunity to create posters reflective of the sections within a string orchestra. As such, six groups were formed, composed of the first violins, second violins, violas, cello, bass, and harp. 

“I enjoyed talking to people I don’t get to talk to on a daily basis, making new friends, and meeting new people,” Iris Chen ‘26 said. 

The balance between musical engagement and familiarity with program culture is a dynamic brightened by informal interaction. Activities such as this one paired with initiatives introduced at the beginning of the year, heightening enthusiasm for future projects, and emphasizing efforts to foster inclusivity in each facet of the orchestra experience. 

“My favorite thing so far is the friendly competition between sections, and also the community that results from all of it, bringing us together as one orchestra,” Dalton Ma ‘26 said. 

Organized by the student officer leadership team, space constraints posed by the orchestra’s temporary relocation to the lecture hall made for more pragmatic usage of available facilities. Reflected in facilitating both diverse and meaningful connections within and across class blocks, sustaining this momentum was a key goal addressed in the planning process. 

“Teamwork and coordination within the officer team played a major role in the ice cream social’s success,” junior orchestra officer Henry Kam ‘24 said. “The members had an enjoyable evening having ice cream and showing off their artistic talents. Seeing it come together and taking part in the social was pleasing as our hard work paid off.” 

Rehearsals will continue over the month of September as the orchestra program prepares for their Fall Concert, set for Thursday, Oct. 13 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at the RRISD Performing Arts Center (PAC).