Despite some good athletic teams and several very high achieving students, when you ask people about Lakewood High School they often talk about the music programs. Led by some fantastic individuals, the choir, band and orchestra programs excel at Lakewood. In this case the Orchestra is making the news for their leaders hard work. Dr. Hankins was able to score a free concert by the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra in our own Civic auditorium alongside 4 of our top orchestra students.

The concert was on Sunday, February 16 and was put on as a part of the Orchestra’s Neighborhood Partners program that connects different communities to music in various ways. This one was a spectacular free concert in the beautiful Civic that was open to families and the public. The Orchestra was conducted by Pinay Paramaswaran and was narrated by Donald Carrier. The program was called “Beethoven and his Music.”

The Lakewood students who were lucky enough to play with the world-class musicians included Alissa Leon, Grace Gill, and Emma Carson. Congratulations girls!

I sat down with former Lakewood musician and senior at LHS, Ava Clause, to get her take on the situation: “I think it is a really amazing opportunity for students to be able to experience and learn from people who are performing our activities at such a high level, it is what makes Lakewood High School stand out, that we are able to provide our kids with great opportunities ever day.”

Another huge thanks to the Cleveland Orchestra and Dr Hankins for putting on this event, hopefully there will be more concerts in the future.