Sitting on the edge of their chairs with their back straight,   bows moving sharply in the same direction, their fingers getting sore from the pressure of the strings, tapping their foot to the beat of the song, while glancing up from their music stand to look at the director conducting.

As of last year, the orchestra program has been improving, thanks to the new orchestra director David Chisum.

Chisum came in with a storm of energy and motivation.

“I think with our new director our motivation was refreshed,” senior Sabrina Whitney said.

Since arriving at Bowie last year Chisum has been working hard to create a higher standard of achievement. He increased the difficulty of music and expects his students to work hard.

“We had been playing music that didn’t push us too much in previous years, so it was a huge startle,” Whitney said.

Playing challenging music means the students have to work hard, but Chisum helps them as best he can.

“He’s really blunt about things and so he tells you exactly what you need to work on,” sophomore Jiwoo Suh said.

Chisum pushes his students for perfection, but he knows he must also trust them.

“Successful concerts require good teaching and good learning which takes trust,” Chisum said.

However, Chisum’s tough teaching and high expectations are improving the Bowie orchestra.

“Because he pushes our orchestras so much, and has so much determination to make us the best we can be, we’ve been able to play better than I think we’ve played in a long time,” Whitney said.

Although perfection is not easy to reach, it’s what motivates Chisum.

“It rarely happens but, when it does happen, it’s the best feeling, the best adrenaline rush, and pure satisfaction,” Chisum said.

It’s this feeling that makes Chisum strive to perfect his performances.

“Skydiving, which is awesome, didn’t give me as big of a rush as some performances I’ve been a part of as either a player or a conductor,” Chisum said.

The emotions of his past performances still live with him today.

“Some of my greatest memories have come from performing great works with my friends,” Chisum said.

His passion bleeds into his teachings.

“He’s always telling us that we need to play the music not play at it and we need to be on edge when we play,” Suh said. “He means don’t only focus on your part and play what’s on the page, you need to be aware of everything that’s happening around you.”

Although he love for music he has now, Chisum started playing the violin just as something to do.

“I had a friend tell me not to pick violin because he didn’t want any competition so, of course, violin was the only choice,” Chisum said.

Chisum’s love for music did not happen right away. Instead he grew into it.

“I wasn’t sure this was what I wanted to do until my second semester of college,” Chisum said “We played Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major, ‘Titan’ and I’ve been hooked ever since.”

Although Chisum didn’t know he wanted to be a music teacher for sure until college, he had an idea of what he wanted to do for a living.

“I knew I either wanted to be an orchestra director or a civil engineer. I love the idea of building something from nothing and both professions allow you to do this,” Chisum said.

After he made his decision to be a music teacher, Chisum had a rough first year as a director at a school in California.

“I completed the semester but had told them I wouldn’t be returning for the next school year three weeks into the semester,” Chisum said.

Teaching at Bowie has been more enjoyable for Chisum.

“The students work hard, I have good parent support, and the administration is great, it doesn’t get much better than that,” Chisum said.

Chisum  striving for, and have always striven for, a perfect performance.