Band and orchestra come together for big concert

Katherine Idgunji l News Editor

Students, staff, and community members alike basked in the sweet sound of music during the combined orchestra and band concert on Oct 17 in the auditorium.

The band and orchestra have been preparing for the concert since the beginning of this year. According to orchestra director Christopher Campbell and band director Scott Muenz, they have seen noteworthy success in both musical ensembles this year already.

“We have bred a culture of musical excellence within this program,” said Muenz. “The expectations are high and the students rise to the occasion each time. We have been able to focus on high level skills while reviewing and reinforcing fundamentals regularly.”

Orchestra has welcomed many new members to its group this year.

“The orchestra has been doing good,” said Campbell. “We have a bigger group this year, and more of a balance among the instruments.”

This concert sets itself apart as a combined concert with the Orchestra and Band. This provides the opportunity for students to be exposed to many different types of music at one time.

“I'm most looking forward to being able to play at a concert again for the first time since the end of the last school year,” said sophomore orchestra member Viseth Meng. “I enjoy having a combined concert with the band because not only do we get the chance to show the results of our hard work, but we also get to listen to the band playing some great music as well.”

Having a combined concert also gives students who are members of band and orchestra an opportunity to connect with each other and celebrate their successes of the year so far. This builds a strong connection between more than one music program in the school.

“I think it’s fun to have a combined concert with the orchestra, because it gives us both a chance to perform and support each other in the same evening,” said junior band member Molly Hibshman. “They bring a different kind of timbre and feeling to the concert.”

Within each ensemble students build strong connections with each other, thus creating a broader sense of community. This helps to mold the idea that every Falcon counts.

“I absolutely love the sense of community I get from band; even though people play different instruments, I have friends in every single connection that I love to talk to,” said senior band member Jordan Cerminara. “100 percent letting my friends peer pressuring me into joining band was the best decision of my high school career.”

The new school year brings new and exciting pieces for both ensembles to play. Students and conductors are looking forward to the new pieces of music.

“Out of the program we have between Concert Band and Symphonic Band, we do have one that’s become a frontrunner – March, Op. 99 by Prokofiev,” said Muenz. “It is a great arrangement that we can do really well at a quick speed.”

Overall, this concert allows students to have a goal to work on from the get-go when school starts. It pushes them to try their best, because they are all working towards one common goal.

“This concert is great because it commits us to fast-tracking progress early on,” said Muenz

Since the band only rehearses concert material during the school day, it can focus on the pieces from Day 1, according to Muenz.

After every concert comes the feeling of relief that it’s over, but also the feeling of accomplishment for all the hard work that you have put in.

“It’s a great opportunity for all of us to perform together, and the more chances of performing together, the better it is for the music program,” said Campbell. “(The best part about the concert is) seeing the enjoyment on the kids’ faces knowing that they have done a good job.”