Refined through teamwork
Above: FINAL BOW: Clarke Central High School senior Jack Montgomery performs at the iliad Literary-Art Magazine Creative Celebration at Nuçi’s Space on Sept. 10, 2025. Montgomery has been involved with CCHS’ orchestra program since he was a freshman, and has seen improvement in his performance skills in that time. “I was definitely not as confident to play my best. Even if I could play the part, there (were) so many nerves and anticipation being on (a) stage,” Montgomery said. “Now, I feel like I can really play my best and confidently on stage, and that's good for playing with the group, so I can bring out all (of) the areas I thrive at.” Photo by Iliana Tejada
CCHS orchestra classes will perform at Cedar Shoals High School during the Large Group Performance Evaluation on March 24, focusing on the importance of culture and how it drives the performance.
After returning from Winter Break, Clarke Central High School orchestra classes started developing three select pieces to perform during the Large Group Performance Evaluation on March 24 at Cedar Shoals High School.
Preparation for the event centers on working accurately to meet all criteria based on the Georgia Music Educators Association’s evaluation of students’ ability to perform and understand music composition. Beyond consistently rehearsing, CCHS Director of Orchestras and fine arts department co-chair Dr. Eunice Kang has created opportunities for students to build their confidence and motivation leading up to the event.
“I plan at least one fun concert that we attend (outside of school),” Kang said. “(Students) need to attend live performances in order to appreciate how much work it takes to actually be good at something. I think listening to music, on Spotify or Apple Music, does not impress upon you how difficult it is to reach a certain level of performance, and (these concerts) really make them go, ‘Oh yeah, I better practice.’”
Above: ONE SOUND: Clarke Central High School Director of Orchestras and fine arts department co-chair Dr. Eunice Kang teaches orchestra students in Room 251 on March 19. To rehearse for the annual Large Group Performance Evaluation, sponsored by the Georgia Music Educators Association, CCHS orchestra classes performed at a Pre-LGPE concert at CCHS on March 17. “I think there were some jitters on stage, so there were some unexpected mistakes,” Kang said. “Students were getting down on themselves, but that's the whole purpose of performing. To understand that (when) performing, you only get better if you do it more.” Photo by Finley Sleppy
Although attending live performances has shaped students’ individual mindsets toward LGPE, the orchestra program aims to rely on the success of mentorship and leadership. CCHS senior Jack Montgomery has been involved with the orchestra program since he was a freshman and has used his experiences to mentor CCHS underclassmen.
“(I) just try to encourage (the underclassmen) as much as I can and tell them that this is not gonna be their only (LGPE),” Montgomery said. “There's gonna be so many (more performances), so if (they) don't do well on this one, there's gonna be many chances to do better.”
As students prepare for their pieces, they must be mindful of the evaluation process. LGPE uses a grading scale of Superior, Excellent, Good, Fair and Poor to evaluate the performances. Kang and Montgomery both believe that if the orchestra students internalize and perform with a positive mindset, the evaluation that CCHS’ orchestra program receives will be invaluable.
“I hope that (students) appreciate the process of setting a goal, determining (the) procedure for achieving that goal, and then teamwork,” Kang said. “If they learn nothing else in orchestra, they have to come out knowing that teamwork is the most important part of collaborating.”
Story by Finley Sleppy
Finley Sleppy is a junior at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia and is the Managing Editor for the iliad Literary-Art Magazine. This year, she hopes to grow as a leader and overall creative person by trying things out of her comfort zone and supporting the CCHS community creatively. In her free time, she enjoys playing music, eating all different types of food and hanging out with her friends and family.