The bands have been practicing their pieces ever since the beginning of the school year. One of the students I interviewed, David Berger, has been playing trumpet since 2017. He is a senior, and just this year he entered Symphonic Wind Ensemble, which is the more prestigious band.
When asked what he liked about playing in band, he said “I could just say it’s for an easy A, but I really do like the atmosphere.” He describes playing music as a “Very rewarding experience.” This year for the concert, they’re playing 3 different pieces, Folk song suite, which is a medley of british folk songs/marches, Sing Gently, a slow song originally written for choir by Eric Whitacre, and Fosters America, a 3 Movement piece written in the civil war.
David’s favorite piece is “Sing Gently, because it’s slow which makes it hard to play, but it sounds so peaceful. It’s a slow and relaxing piece to play.” David also wanted to add about the band that “There is a stigma behind the band, that if you join you’re a geek or a nerd, but if you join band to play music that’s exactly what you get,” Which is true. It’s never too late to join band and get involved, as it is a really fun experience.
The other band, Symphonic Band, is also playing on the 22nd, preceding SWE. Preston Newburry is another trumpet player in 5th hour band. He says that he liked band because “The teachers nurture a learning environment, and that the classroom is very accepting.” The pieces they will play are Americans We, which is a march, Appalachian Folk Songs, which is a collection of segmented pieces that tell a story of a soldier, and the theme from Space Odyssey, which is a very nostalgic piece, and it’s also Preston’s favorite. “It’s a very easy piece to play, but despite this it still sounds really good,” He added when I enquired about his favorite piece.
If you can, make sure to come to this concert next tuesday, and make sure to try and visit the other concerts the band has throughout the year, as they play 3 other concerts during the year, and they’re all very enjoyable to attend as both bands, while being different skill levels, are still very good.