On Wednesday night, the band performed their annual Christmas concert. The concert is a celebration of the band, but also an event to build excitement for the holidays. The concert allows the band to show off what they have learned and to provide something for the students and band members to look forward to.
Band Director Josey Gruba believes this event is a great motivator for the students, and she says she’s excited to show everyone what the band has learned. She notes that this event is important to the students because they don’t get many chances to showcase their skills, and their ability to play together. “They sound very good and concerts are just kind of a way for them to show everyone that,” Gruba said.
During the Concert, the band played four songs; “Three Ships,” “Once in Royal David’s City,” “What Child is This,” “Sleigh Ride,” and “Holiday Finale” with the junior high. They had to play with the junior high for “Holiday Finale” because the song requires more percussion, which the band does not have enough of.
Sophomore and Oboe player, Kaitlyn Cape was both nervous and excited about the concert. Though she says was anxious, she was excited to show off what she’s learned, since they have been practicing and preparing for the concert for a while. “I’m always really excited the night of the concert because I just think it’s so fun,” Cape said.
Cape believes concerts are not just fun but also important to helping the band improve. They get to work on their connection, which is important in sounding unified. They can work on getting back on beat if they miss a measure or part of the song. “The concert helps us know how to play in front of people and improvise if anything goes wrong,” Cape said.
The concert ran smoothly and was enjoyable for the audience and the band. Gruba’s main hope for the event was that they could create an enjoyable atmosphere for everyone attending. “[I want] the students to have the best audience that they can get,” Gruba said.
Gruba was excited about the event since she was confident in the band’s skills. In past years she’s been stressed about concerts because of the band’s size but she is hopeful for this year’s concert. “We have been able to prepare some really great music and that makes it a lot more fun,” Gruba said.