Students take orchestra challenge to creschendo

It began as it often does in Upper School Orchestra class – after the 2024 Upper School Spring Concert, with an invitation from Friends Academy Music teacher James Liverani to shift from soloists and duets into a group and compose something new – “something yours.” A recent tradition, stretching back more than half a decade, the composition project inspires student-musicians to wander off the path of established music and dabble in five to six original measures. Last spring, something different happened – this time, the music grew into something much larger.

Molly ’25 and Maddie ’25 Halliday have been immersed in music since childhood. Both started piano at the age of five, joined orchestra in fourth grade, and have been in the Friends Academy orchestra since sixth. Their instrumental experience spanned cello, viola, lyre, guitar, bagpipes, snare drum, and piano – a full range of percussion, wind, and string. “Orchestra was our first experience playing with other people and hearing other harmonies,” Maddie noted. 

That musical community became instrumental after the sisters took up the class challenge to write an original piece.  Their first draft was anywhere from 12 to 16 measures. “In the past, students would come up with melodies,” recalled Mr. Liverani. “And while the harmony was not as developed in Molly and Maddie's measures, they had scored a full instrumental piece.” By the end of the year, all of the orchestra groups had performed their pieces; Mr. L, however, pushed Molly and Maddie to add two extra parts and soon the girls had more than doubled their original score to 34 measures.

Junior Marina Krichmar, an accomplished violinist who had performed in Orchestra at Friends from 4th to 10th grade, joined the Halliday duet, and helped them evolve the piece with the addition of violin and viola parts, smoothing out rougher sounds. “Usually, there are five parts in an orchestra piece,” explained Marina – “1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello, and bass. When you tie two notes together, it becomes a slur,” she added. “In the original music, there was a slur that didn’t sound right. On its own, the violin part sounded fine, but put together with the other instruments it wasn’t blending in.” 

Through collaboration and iteration and guidance from Mr. Liverani, the trio worked together to bring “The First Snowfall” to its finished state. “It was fun for me to put myself in check,” mused Mr. L. “That was my favorite part of this whole thing – working with fresher minds and people.”

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Molly and Maddie drew inspiration from their own Scottish heritage and the imposing landscapes of rocky cliffs. “A lot of our visual art is inspired by Scotland because we have been going there since young children; the beauty of nature there is different from over here,” said Molly. “A lot of it has to do with how it sounds… when you first hear what you imagine,” commented Maddie.

Similar to the start of a snowfall, first quiet and soft and then growing more dramatic and loud, “The First Snowfall” builds upon itself and gradually accumulates like snow drifts. “It’s a bit somber and melancholy,” said Molly. “I was thinking about the seasons and the transition between summer and winter.”

Growing up listening to Scottish folk music, the sisters admit that some chords in “The First Snowfall” might have been subconsciously chosen. “There are some chords that are not ‘American,’ explained Mr. Liverani “They chose certain instruments to go up and down a half step at certain points and it brings out a different flavor.”

The collaborative nature of the project not only improved the process and outcome, but all three emerged with new understandings. “Being in a Quaker school, we really uplift community,” said Molly. “Our Orchestra class is a community, where everyone is contributing something special and different. Working by yourself is very limited and there is something very powerful about a community over an individual,” she added. 

Musical collaboration has spilled over into other classes for Marina, like AP Physics. “This has inspired me to try and work with more people,” said Marina, who vows to spend less time thinking about who to collaborate with and instead trusting the process of teamwork. “Now I know whatever group I get into, it’s going to be fine.” 

For Mr. Liverani, one of the most important aspects of group work is knowing the different expertise and strengths of the people in your group will build trust. “There is a balance between lifting those who need to go higher and those who are higher understanding what it means to be a good ensemble member. Your feelings are sounds and you just have to find them and let the instrument speak for itself.”

Fast forward one year later and the notes that Molly and Maddie put to paper came to fruition when “The First Snowfall” debuted as a full orchestral piece at the recent Upper School Spring Concert. “I wasn’t expecting it to become as big as it did,” said Maddie. “But I’m glad it did.”

Looking ahead as both transition from Friends Academy to a new college chapter, will they write again? Molly and Maddie turned toward each other. “Definitely,” they both smiled.

Photo and video by Alvin Caal/Friends Academy