Lincoln Southeast High School’s (LSE) orchestra performed with Irving Middle School’s orchestra as part of an outreach and mentorship program on Thursday, Feb. 24 in the Jennifer L. Dorsey-Howley Performing Arts Center.

Thursday’s performance was the third time that LSE performed with a middle school. The other two performances were with Pound and Lefler. These performances had been an annual event, however, due to the pandemic, they were put on hold since March 2020. 

Violinist Savannah Schutte  (12) remembers when she was in middle school and got to play with the high school orchestra. “I was awed by the high schoolers and amazed by their skill,” Schutte said. “Now that I’m in high school, playing with middle schoolers, I hope they can see that high school has a lot to offer and that playing music is fun.” 

The orchestra performed classical pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Egmont Overture and Procession of the Nobles. 

Schutte hopes the middle school students enjoyed the experiences with the  LSE orchestra. “It’s important to play with middle schoolers so the kids can have an easier transition and see that high schoolers aren’t scary. and that going to high school can be fun thing and it doesn’t have to be a stressful thing,” Schutte said. “I think that other people do enjoy playing with the middle schools because we love seeing them play and remember how we used to be at that age.”