Christmas is a famous holiday known for giving, spreading joy and more, but it is also known for something many do not acknowledge which is music. In this winter band concert, it showcases the holiday feel and Christmas joy that you feel once a year. This event took place Tuesday, December 6, at 7:00 p.m. at Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley.

At this concert, it was truly giving. Doors opened at 6:20 p.m., and you could take a seat and relax with a treat from the bake sale, which was open throughout the entirety of the show. The bake sale was completely free, but you were encouraged to donate as much as you would like to the band leadership. Lots of audience members helped donate, a brilliant gift of giving, which helps the efforts that this band leadership hopes to achieve. Displayed were an assortment of chips, baked goods like brownies, blondies, and cookies, store bought baked goods like cupcakes and Hershey Chocolate Kisses, as well as our drinks with Sprite, Caprisun, and lastly water which cost $1. This bake sale not only encouraged donations for the greater good of band, it was flourished with giving and lovely treats to enjoy while watching the show.

The show consisted of a large theater that belonged to the church with assembled instruments on the stage for Percussion and seats ready for the performers to use. This holiday show was four parts, which was divided by the different sections: Orchestral Winds, 154 Jazz Ensemble, Windy Symphony, and lastly, Wind Ensemble. This show had no intermission, proving these talented musicians really worked hard to stay consistent throughout. The Orchestral Winds performed African Bell Carol, God Rest Ye Merry Mallets, and A Celebration of Hanukkah. The 154 Jazz Ensemble played Mercy Mercy Mercy, Herman’s Habit, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and Zoot Suit Root. Then Wind Symphony played Into The Arctic, Baby, It’s Cold Outside, and Latin Celebration. Lastly, Wind Ensemble played The Wizard of Oz, A Mariah Carey Christmas: All I Want For Christmas Is You, and Sleigh Ride. They also played Second Suite in F which was four parts in itself: March, Song Without Words, Song of the Blacksmith, and Fantasia on the ‘Dargason’. These performances were well done, really giving the holiday feel.

Though this performance was well done, organized, and quite jolly, a lot of effort went into this show from dedicated parents, teachers, and especially students. Students from band were there from the morning until the show ended at night, setting up, making sure it is comfortable as well as enjoyable for the audience. Senior Hannah Tran, who played trombone and percussion, shares her take on the effort behind this show student side. Tran said, “Our winter concert was really refreshing and showcased the hard work that we’ve put in for the last 4 months.” This shows the dedication behind this show and how much everyone wants for this concert to turn out well. Tran shares her input by sharing what she did personally, stating, “I was super busy running around, setting up, fixing mics, and really doing anything for the concert to work smoothly, but it was all worth it when our performance started.” This is really commendable to everyone who worked hard for this show, especially the performers and students.

As you can tell, this show was truly spectacular, as the music added the holiday warmth yearned for in these winter days. The audience enjoyed the refreshments and drinks provided as well as the beautiful show, and donated which helps for a better cause for the band. A lot of work, time, energy, and effort went into this show. See more from band in future concerts, as the party’s just started. Happy Holidays!