Wayland High School graduate Kyle Pitcher has been selected as director of the fifth and sixth grade orchestra at Goshen High School in Indiana.

Pitcher, son of Roger and Renee Pitcher of Wayland, recently earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University. He plays bass in an area pop/jazz/folk musical group that plays for engagements.

A spokesman for Gosher High School said, “Kyle is a gifted double-bassist and a December 2016 graduate of Western Michigan University. We had the opportunity to see him work with our students in the interviews and we were very impressed. We know our fifth- and sixth-graders will benefit from a strong string specialist!”

Pitcher will be at Goshen’s Summer Orchestra Showcase at 6 p.m. Thursday.

The Goshen Orchestra program has a long standing tradition of excellence, celebrating its centennial in the 2015-2016 school year. Over the years the orchestras have served thousands of students growing from just 13 students in 1915 to nearly 500 in 2017.  About 10 to 15 percent of the Goshen Community Schools student population grades 5-12 is enrolled in orchestra.

Students in Goshen generally begin their journey with orchestra in the summer program before their fifth grade year meeting twice a week before or after school throughout their fifth grade year. In sixth, seventh, and eighth grade orchestra each meet daily as a class. The high school has three orchestra classes:

• The Crimson Concert Orchestra is freshmen ensemble.

• The Philharmonic Orchestra is our ensemble for sophomores, juniors, and seniors not enrolled in Symphonic Orchestra.

• The Symphonic Orchestra is Goshen’s top performing orchestra at the high school, and performs as a full orchestra in the second semester of the school year.

Goshen also has extra-curricular ensembles such as the high school Camerata Chamber Orchestra, the GMS Alternate Strings, and the GHS String Jazz Ensemble.

The Goshen High School Symphonic Full Orchestra is a 14-time Indiana State School Music Association state finalist, including two state runner-up performances in 2006 and 2007. It has received a number of other high honors over the years, including more than 20 first place middle school orchestra awards at the Music in the Parks festival, many high school honors at Heritage Festivals across the country.

The Goshen Orchestra even received national ranking and performed at the World’s fair in Chicago in 1933.

PHOTO: Kyle Pitcher