Hudsonville board hears recap of 25th-anniversary orchestra featuring 550 students and program growth

Sarah Lenhard, an orchestra teacher at Riley, told the Hudsonville Public School District board that the districts 25th-anniversary orchestra concert brought together about 550 students across K12 and created "so much fun" for performers and families. "I'm Sarah Lenhard and I teach at Riley," she said as she introduced a video recap of the May performance.

Jillian Coleman, who teaches orchestra at the 56 building, said it was "very exciting to see the students just so excited" and that instructors look forward to continued program growth. The presentation noted that, because of the first cohort of sixth-graders required to take music who have continued, the high school will expand to four orchestras next year to accommodate increased retention.

Staff and administrators praised collaboration across departments: Kalista Coreys advanced media class produced the concerts first live stream, and art staff partnered with music to plan cross-disciplinary events. Phil Matthews, who coaches the districts indoor percussion group, underscored the broader extracurricular momentum, noting recent state championships and student travel to national competitions.

The district highlighted the events role in student engagement and recruitment for secondary music programs and said organizers will explore ways to build on the live-stream experience and coordinate future music-and-art collaborations. Board members thanked instructors and administrators for staging the large-scale event and recognizing student achievement.

The board did not take a formal vote on the presentation; it was received as an informational teaching-and-learning feature.