Throughout the late days of November and the early days of December, the band must prepare for their holiday concert. The band was divided into two different sections: jazz and concert band.
From late October to early December, the jazz band has practiced every Tuesday and Thursday. Each practice would start at 3 p.m. and end around 4 p.m. to work on the songs they would play at the winter concert. Many students in the jazz band played an instrument in the same family as the one they already played for the concert band. Although if they were in a concert band, joining the jazz band was completely optional. If a member chose not to join the jazz band, they still had to be in the concert band.
Concert band is a little different than marching band, with the band members having to play a slightly different instrument for concert band. They can play more than one instrument. Band members do this mainly because there are different types of one instrument, like how the mellophone is the French horn for the concert band.
Concert band practices happen in class on white days during fourth block as well as during PLT, which is an open block for the band members to come in and practice. As all of their full-group rehearsals are limited to these times, they had to get their extra practice on their own time at their homes.
“I recently have been bringing all my instruments home and practicing at least an hour every day,” Sophia Figas (10) said.
“Well, every day we have class, we go through what we are learning for the holiday concert and we do it piece by piece, chunk by chunk, and slowly we win the race,” Ms. Julia Lawerence, band director, said.
The jazz band started the concert with “Ye Jazzy Gentlemen” and then moved on to “Let It Snow” with a solo by Audrey Mooney (11). They closed with the song “Jingle Bell Rock,” which featured solos from Calla Reynolds (12) and Aubrey Boyd (12).
The concert band was next, and they started with “Pat-A-Pan,” a classic Christmas carol with a solo at the beginning by Juliana Giovengo (10) and a closing solo by Aubrey Boyd (12). Next was “Veni Veni,” with a solo by Elizabeth Mooney (11). The closing tune was “Sleigh Ride,” which the concert band performs every year. Shane McGowin (9) pranced around the auditorium on the slapstick, a new addition to the 2025 showcase.
They closed with a combined piece, “Holiday-Sing-Along,” with the middle and high school concert bands performing together. On Dec. 16, the high school and middle school bands met during fourth block to practice this piece. This rehearsal was the only practice they had as a full ensemble.