Senior Megan Wilson greatly enjoys joking around with her friends—the crew of last year’s FHC musical, however, did not enjoy it as much when she did this.

“Last year,” Megan said, “we got the crew a little annoyed with us [the pit musicians] because we were miked down there. So, during breaks, we would chit-chat with each other and apparently you could hear us over the mics.”

The pit orchestra for the spring musicals produced at FHC is essential to the overall success of the show. The musicians are in charge of playing all of the instrumental music, both the soundtrack and side effects. 

While the students put in an abundance of hard work each rehearsal, their practices are also exceedingly fun and relaxed. 

“During rehearsals, we goof around a lot,” Megan said. “We get serious, but then [orchestra teacher and director Andrew] Pool will make jokes from movies. So, there’s a lot of messing around during [rehearsals] and having fun with music. I’ve always enjoyed playing music. [Playing in the pit] is a really great opportunity to really focus on music, especially with people who want to [play music] more than just in class. It’s also more difficult music, and it’s fun to learn something that’s a little bit more out of your wheelhouse.”

All of the music that Megan and the other students will be playing are much more advanced than that of the high school level. They put a lot of effort into ensuring that the show goes on smoothly.

Pool assures that the students are ready by opening night. He knows that, while the outcome requires a difficult task for the students, they should be able to enjoy it. 

“The atmosphere in the pit is one of companionship and camaraderie,” Pool said, “but also of hard work because we have quite a bit to do to keep up with everything going on up on stage. During rehearsals and during the performances, the pit is kind of a closed-off space. And it’s different [from] being onstage because you don’t have the interaction of the audience, [which] is a huge piece of what we do as performers are very engaged with the audience.”

Playing in the pit is a new and different experience for most students.

While the cast would, theoretically, be able to get away with using a recorded soundtrack, Pool and the students all agree that live music is invariably the superior option.

“Live music is always best,” Pool said. “When you’re playing with pre-recorded tracks, or what we call ‘canned music,’ it’s always the same; it’s like singing along with your favorite song on the radio. But in [a] live performance, there’s a certain element of what’s going to happen next. It’s very exciting because performing music live is usually an imperfect thing; there are always those weird little things that happen in performance that you can’t necessarily expect, but those are the things that give us the chance to really strive to do even better next time, and those are things that keep it interesting and fun and exciting. And when you’re able to put a live cast together with a pit orchestra, it’s a really magical thing.”

With the aid of the orchestra, the show will undoubtedly be a wondrous experience.

There is one person playing each instrument down in the pit; sophomore Abby Schnelker, who plays the violin, appreciates that everyone gets an equal amount of spotlight. Everyone is essential to performing a stunning show.

“[All of the different instruments] get the melody sometimes,” Abby said, “so it’s not like one instrument is more important than the others. We put quite a lot [of preparation time] in. We have rehearsals after school, so most days this week and next week. We’re working with the entire cast and crew for all of their rehearsals the week leading up to the show. And, there’s a lot of at-home practice, too, because the music is pretty difficult.”

Abby and her classmates who are participating in the pit orchestra all sacrifice their own time in order to be prepared. 

In the pit, during rehearsals, it is a very relaxed space. Abby appreciates that Pool is able to make their hard work seem fun as well. 

“[The environment] is very chill because we’re working with Mr. Pool, and he’s a really relaxed guy,” Abby said. “[The pit orchestra] is definitely more chill than the cast and crew because I think that they’re much more high energy. I [played in the pit] last year, too, and it was a ton of fun. As a music lover, I love any chance I get to perform and play; I enjoy it.”

This year’s production of The Wizard of Oz is dependent on the performance of these dedicated students—without them, the musical experience simply wouldn’t be the same. 

“Every show that we do is another chapter in the experience,” Pool said. “I think about all the different shows that I’ve had the privilege of [working] with and all the different student directors and all the different student actors and actresses, all the different people that have been associated with the pit musical. Thinking about all of the wonderful moments—it’s been a challenge, too, for sure—and people and all the really cool experiences that have taken place, I really treasure this part of my job.”