Violinist Cecelia Lam shared her thoughts on participating in the orchestra:  “The experience of being in AVO gave me the opportunity to imagine what it would be like if I get a chance to join a symphony orchestra in the future.  I felt fortunate to have Mr. Wilkins as our conductor and I was fascinated how every one of us performed so smoothly and together, as if we were able to read the conductor's mind. This unforgettable experience allowed me to see how much more I need to learn and how professional a group can sound after only three days of practice; I felt proud to be a part of it.”

Elizabeth Ghias also recorded her impression of her participation in the event:  "All States was such an amazing experience.  I had the opportunity to meet so many musicians from all across the state and I learned a lot about the music programs in other parts of the state.  Everyone thinks Fairfax County has the best music programs and that we have the most opportunities, but that's not necessarily true. It was great to play in an full orchestra (That's one of the opportunities that FCPS students don't have) where the focus was on making music, not just trying to figure out how to play the notes or rhythms.  The conductor was phenomenal.  He didn't spend anytime on teaching the music and his expectations were never unreasonable.  He understood that at our level we wouldn't be able to play every single note.  He just wanted us to learn how to make music out of what we were playing.  His primary focus was on the imagery behind the music and how that affects the emotions that need to be conveyed through the music.  For example, in the piece The Walk to Paradise Garden (from A Village Romeo and Juliet), he told us about how Romeo and Juliet are about to meet their fate, but on the way the stop at a beautiful garden.  The piece is supposed to be their last moments together.  He wanted us to incorporate this imagery into our playing."

---