Hunter Wilson/Daily News Sarah Berry (top left) conducts the intermediate orchestra Tuesday during a performance by Bowling Green and Warren County students at E.A. Diddle Arena.

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Around 3:30 p.m., it’s not uncommon to hear the sounds of Beethoven streaming from a string trio in the kitchen of a local Mexican restaurant.

That’s because fourth-grade cousins Marcos Ruelas, Izhar Morfin and Andrew Morfin, all 10, practice their music lessons together after school when they meet at their parents’ eatery, El Pollo Azteca, said their teacher, Patrick O’Rourke.

While the three boys go to two different schools in Bowling Green, on Tuesday night they got the chance to play together - with nearly 300 other students from Bowling Green and Warren County schools during a concert at E.A. Diddle Arena. The event marked the fourth massive performance from string students as part of the Western Kentucky University string development program.

O’Rourke, who leads the strings program in Bowling Green Schools, said he has enjoyed watching Marcos and Izhar, who attend Dishman-McGinnis Elementary School, and Andrew, who attends T.C. Cherry Elementary School, as they compete each week to see who has mastered their newfound love for the violin.

“We have a contest to see who plays better, except we always tie because my mom is the judge,” Marcos said.

All three picked up the violin for the first time this year and said they now have hopes of becoming musicians when they grow up - maybe even playing in a band together. More than 80 of the instruments, including those of the family trio, were provided through the Son Rhea Foundation’s fundraisers to help provide funding.

Izhar said music has changed his life.

“It makes you calm,” he said. “Because you can hear the rhythm and you don’t have to worry about nothing.”

The concert marked the first time the students from 12 area schools had played together this year, O’Rourke said. With only one opportunity to practice together, the students, ages 10 to 14, had to master their music in the classroom, and bring it all together for the performance in front of 500 family members and friends.

From the beginning orchestra playing Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” all the way to the advanced orchestra’s performance of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Allegro in D,” O’Rourke said the program has done more than just grow by numbers - its quality has become exceptional.

“People that young pulling off something like that requires dedication and focus,” he said. “I’m really proud of them ... even though (the program) is only four years old, they’re playing really challenging things like what a high school program would play. We have a real quality program here.”

Sarah Berry, one of the professional music teachers who leads the county’s program with WKU, said the pre-college string development program started with 20 students at Natcher Elementary School. It has now expanded to include 12 schools with more than 300 students from the city and county.

Berry said the performance by the students was a demonstration of what they had been working on the entire school year.

“It went great - the students always come together and do a great job,” she said. “It’s exciting for them to play with hundreds of other kids.”

O’Rourke said he enjoys the annual concert because it gives the kids a chance to receive recognition for how hard they work while allowing them a chance to do what they love the most - perform for an audience.

“How many 10-year-olds get to play a gig at Diddle Arena in front of that many people?” he asked. “It’s nice for them to have the opportunity to play in a place like this.”

For Marcos, who said he had to calm his nerves on the way to the arena, the concert went better than great.

“For me, it was like a dream come true,” he said. “I’ve dreamed about this like three times - about, like, how it’s going to be - and it was perfect.”