Bullitt East has had a strong band program with many related groups for years. But with all of its many musical programs, Bullitt East is still missing one. Orchestras are made up of mostly string instruments, often alongside woodwinds, brass, and percussion. 

Many past and present students have shown interest in having a school run orchestra. But there is an issue.

 “There’s a lot of expenses that go into starting any kind of program for music, and there’s a lot of money involved.” said Jason Novac, BE band director.

If Bullitt East did start an orchestra program we would need instruments. While some of the smaller instruments could be purchased by students themselves, other larger ones cost tens of thousands of dollars and could not be purchased by the students themselves. Along with the expenses of instruments, sheet music and a teacher also cost money. With all of the current musical teachers having full schedules, to have an orchestra Bullitt East would have to hire a new staff member. This would potentially introduce even more of a financial struggle. 

Having an Orchestra Club instead of a full orchestra would solve some of the financial issues but would not allow as many students the chance to participate. It would still have many benefits though, as it would allow students to have a social setting to practice. Groups also allow students to help one another and teach each other new techniques and ideas. 

“The orchestra I could see being something similar to Jazz Band or Pep Band. Light after school practices and a class to go with it, I could also see the orchestra being involved in our current concert set up, While it may be a long process, I believe it’s within our realm of possibility.” said Lucy Fischer  a BE band member

Having an orchestra at Bullitt East would be a fun chance for many students and would allow them the chance to branch out into a new area of expressing themself and sharing their hobbies with others.