Concerts can be fun for everyone involved. It can entertain audiences, give pride to performers, or just be something to pass the time with. Behind the scenes, they require a lot of work, and many months of preparation. The Highlanders held a concert on Friday, May 2, from 7-9 p.m. in the MPR.
The concert consisted of three different bands, the 154 Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Lab, and the Director’s Band, playing five songs each. “Over the Rainbow” arranged by Alan Baylock, “Virtual Insanity” arranged by John Wasson, and “Wind Machine” by Sammy Nestico are just a few songs that were played during the concert. As the final song, they allowed past students of the jazz band to play “The Chicken” with the Director’s Band, something they do at every concert. There were more vocal performances than there had been in the past, with three in total.
Talking about her job, Band Director Mrs. Lisa Pate said, “I love making music, and I love teaching, and I love seeing what my students can achieve.” She also said, “I think the concert went really well. I’m very happy with it. I’m very proud of my students. They played their very best tonight.”
When talking about her favorite thing about being in band, Historian and Vocalist, senior Megan Provenzano said, “I would say the people that are there. Mrs. Pate’s an amazing band director and we get to play a lot of fun music.” She sang two songs, “Feeling Good” arranged by Roger Holmes, and “It’s Been A Long, Long Time” arranged by Myles Collins.
The bands have been working on these songs all semester, and it showed through their effortless performance. With a wide variety of paces in the song list, it must have been difficult to learn, but they were able to put on a great performance.
