BELLEFONTE — District orchestra week has a way of separating the curious from the committed, and two Juniata High School juniors walked in ready for the challenge.

With her violin in hand, Madison Copeland took her place among the region’s top string players, while French horn player Selena Mayall-Marker stepped into one of the most competitive sections in the festival, held at Bellefonte Area High School and co-hosted by both Bellefonte and Central Mountain High School, located in Mill Hall.

By the time the final notes rang out, both had proven they belonged — and one was headed somewhere even bigger.

Copeland and Mayall-Marker spent three days — Thursday, Jan. 22 through Saturday, Jan. 24 — representing Juniata High School at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 4/6 Orchestra Festival, an event that brings together standout musicians from across central Pennsylvania.

For students who spend most of their year practicing in small ensembles or school rehearsal rooms, district orchestra feels like stepping into a different world — one where the sound is fuller, the expectations are higher, and the pace never really slows down.

For string players like Copeland, the road to districts starts long before the festival itself. District 4/6 Orchestra doesn’t use pre-auditions;

instead, directors meet in late October — usually on a Sunday via Zoom — to select students who meet the required playing competencies.

Any school may bring a qualified string player, even if it doesn’t have a formal orchestra program, though doing so adds that school to the host/co-host rotation for the next five years.

Winds and percussion, however, face a different set of rules. Only schools with a scheduled, curricular full orchestra may send wind or percussion players, and the number of available spots is limited to maintain balance — roughly one wind player for every three accepted string players. Any remaining spots can be filled by a school with a string player that does not have an orchestra, which includes Juniata.

Mayall-Marker placed second overall among all horn players at the festival — a finish that earned her a coveted advancement to Western Region Orchestra next month.

And this year’s Region event isn’t just another festival. It’s at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. For a high school musician, performing there is the kind of opportunity that sticks with you for a lifetime.

Juniata High School Music Director Brad Eargle summed up the week with pride: “Both played a great concert on Saturday, and we’re especially excited for Selena, who placed second overall among the horns and will be advancing to Western Region Orchestra next month,” he said.

Throughout the week, both girls experienced the whirlwind that defines district orchestra: long rehearsals, fast-moving sectionals, new music, new faces and the shared sense of “we’re really doing this” that comes from being part of a full symphony. Saturday’s concert brought it all together — a polished performance built by students who showed up ready to work.

Juniata is celebrating two musicians who stepped into a demanding environment and rose to the moment. Copeland brought her steady, expressive violin playing to a strong string section. Mayall-Marker her way to one of the most iconic stages in Pennsylvania. And together, they showed that talent, drive and a willingness to take on big challenges can carry small-school musicians a very long way.