Enrichment Band Concert Report

Band has become my second home and my drum has become my heart. They have shown me that I am capable of more than I think. I’ve been able to discover more about myself being in percussion than I was while playing flute. My family is the people I go and spend 9 days out of the week

On April 11th, 2017 in the Louis Armstrong Theatre, I attended the GVSU “University Band”. This up-beat ensemble lasted about 90 minutes; the talented students of GVSU’s university band joined together to perform multiple different songs ranging from a Waltz to a Dixieland Jamboree. All of the songs that the band played for the audience were all well-known, popular songs that they all enjoyed. Having the opportunity to attend this concert has opened new musical paths for myself and has allowed me to enjoy and kindly critique something that I perhaps would have never had the chance to otherwise.

Not only am I the head drum major of my band, but I’m also the president of concert band, a member of the handbell choir (for three years), and apart of my school’s jazz band (for four years). I take this responsibility very seriously and try my best to aid my band director whenever I can. Besides band, I am a member of the school chorus (for two years), the women’s ensemble (for two years), my school’s chamber choir (for two years), and a community choir (for five years)! Music, ever since middle school, has been the driving force that’s kept me busy in life. While other students were bored in study hall, I always was able to resort to my band room to practice. In my high school career, I have had the honor to attend two (going on three) district band festivals and one (hopefully two) region band festivals. These opportunities have been nerve-wracking, yet extremely informing and exciting. My life as a musician has made me think differently on life and provided insight on

I've been in marching band for four years, so you could say it’s a pretty big part of my life. I started in eighth grade and I joined the pit where I made a lot of new friends. I stayed in the pit for three years until this year. I switched to clarinet because pit just wasn't fun for me anymore. I'm glad that I switched because the girls in the clarinet section are all my friends now and I made lots of good memories with them. This year, our show was “Through the Woods” and it was fantastic. We worked so hard every moment that we could and had lots of fun together. It was a great group and we did really good. We made it to Semi-State again at Decatur Central High school, but on that cold October night, our name wasn't called when the announcer named off the bands that would go to State at Lucas Oil Stadium that next weekend. It was sad because we all thought that we had it in the bag.

Joining DHS concert band- It was rewarding, because I was able to challenge myself and become better at playing the trombone.

I was a clarinetist in the EAHS High School band during the marching season (July-November). We practiced after school on Tuesday through Thursday every week leading up to our largest competition- The Louisiana Showcase of Marching Bands. On Friday nights, we performed our show, The Seasons, at the football game and played music in the stands to cheer on our team. The hard work paid off as the band placed 2nd place overall at Showcase. This is the best that the EAHS Spartan Band has ever performed at this competition.

I joined my school's marching band while back. It was the hardest thing I've done and I actually enjoyed

In mid-February I went to talk to the eighth grade band students about continuing their music careers in high school. I talked about the multiple ensembles you can be apart of, this includes jazz band, concert band (the ninth grade band that they will be apart of their first year in high school), marching band, and pep band. The reason I mentioned all the ensembles to them is to hopefully catch their interest in staying in band. Maybe it isn’t being apart of concert band, but playing in jazz band. No matter your level of involvement, being a part of music will enrich your experience in high school.

I’m a bass clarinet. Yes, a bass clarinet. Most people, even in band, forget what a bass clarinet is. That instrument in the back that’s neither classified subjectively as a wind nor a brass because of it’s low “duck” noises? Yup, that’s me! Although I’ve never had a rightful place in the band as a well known instrument, the family that I formed from having a close and small section is what I gained as a result.

On Sunday, May10 2015, a concert was held in The Broad Stage. The concert was played by Santa Monica College Symphony Orchestra, whose conductor is Dr. James Martin. For this concert, I would identify myself as a referential listener at this concert. I say this because I am not an expert in music, therefore it would be hard for me to be a critical listener. I wouldn’t be able to tell what went wrong with a performance even if some incorrect notes were played. I was more of a referential listener because the music was soothing and brought my mind to peaceful thoughts. This essay will tells my experience of the concert in order to persuade my friend to  attend a classical music concert with you in the future.

Band is a large part of my life, as I participate in the handbell choir and play principal trombone in my high school concert and jazz bands, as well as taking private lessons and playing in the Shadbolt Center for the Arts' Jazz Band. Practicing has become a weekly routine.

The first concert I attended was my high schools forty- sixth annual Rock N’ Roll Revival. The show is based off a show back in the late sixties and early seventies by the same name that a few students saw. Little did those students know that the show would turn into phenomenon when they decided to bring it back to Sherwood High School. When the show started it was more like a talent show with MC’s and the talents consisting of rock n’ roll songs. This style of the show lasted until Rock N’ Roll Revival #11 when it was decided to cut the comedy acts of the MC’s and focus all of the attention on the music. This new direction into the realm of pure rock n’ roll has stood the test of time and for a good reason.

I went to the “Mark Flood: Greatest Hits” concert on May 5, 16. The performance is presented in the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston. The genre of the concert was Saxophone Quartet and I believed the music is from Contemporary Era. There was four pieces, which composed by four different composers were performed. They started by the "Walk the Walk" by Michael Daugherty, I liked the beginning piece because my mood for this piece was happy and joyful. The beat was powerful and made myself into the song. The second piece was the "Jungle" by Christian Lauba, the tone color were bright and mellow. I felt pretty excited about the dong. Then they continued the third piece, which was "Pitch Black" by Jacob TV, I have to admit that

Being in the Youth Orchestras of Fresno for the past 5 years, I have had the pleasure of working on some of the most incredible pieces in orchestra literature. I’ve been a part of some special concerts, like performing Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” Bernstein’s “On the Waterfront,” “Symphony No. 12” by Shostakovich, “Short Ride in a Fast Machine” by Adams, and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” but there is one piece in particular that has made a huge impact on me and many people in the Central Valley in California. Premiering “Water(less) Music),” by Dr. Ben Boone, was written for the Youth Orchestras of Fresno two years ago while California was, and still is, experiencing a severe drought.

This show was the final date of Arcane Roots’ UK tour and my first experience seeing the band live. The three-piece from Kingston Upon Thames in London have built a reputation for being an excellent live act in recent years; an accolade that I can now personally attest. Musically, Arcane Roots sound similar to the early works of two other esteemed UK live acts: Biffy Clyro and Muse, but with more technical instrumentation and complex song structures.