Wednesday, March 27: A small crowd eagerly waits for the music to begin. The curtains open to reveal six musicians on stage, cloaked in cool blue, green, and purple light. The jazz band begins their first piece, “Absolute Zero.” This was the opening of the high school band concert titled, “An Early Spring Night.” There was almost an hour of music including beautiful and challenging arrangements played by the concert band, and exciting, full-of-life classics performed by the jazz band.
Although the jazz band is small, it has maximized its potential for sound. By using a custom computer tack as a stand-in bass player and a metronome, the gaps in the band are filled. Mr. McCray, director of all bands, masterfully played his trumpet along with his students. Mr. Johnston, elementary music and band teacher, answered his former students’ call for a guitarist, a much-appreciated contribution. These teachers, in combination with the four shining young musicians in the class, created a pretty solid jazz performance. Peyton Earls and this reporter on alto sax, Jacob White on baritone, and Waylon Hayes on drum set. This reporter, Jacob, Waylon, and Mr. McCray played sections of completely improvised solos through the jazz selections. Their repertoire included “Absolute Zero” by Bob Turner, “Bernie’s Tune” by Bernie Miller, and “In A Mellow Tone” by Duke Ellington, arranged by Mark Taylor.
Next up, the concert band took the stage with a 10 musician ensemble. With Mr. McCray as their patient leader and conductor, the students performed six wonderful pieces. These included “The Great Escape” by Elmer Bernstein, “Asian Folk Rhapsody” by Richard L. Saucedo, “Songs From The Second Suite” by Gustav Holst, “The Mandalorian” by Ludwig Goransson, “Pixar Movie Favorites” arr. Michael Brown, and “Gospel John” by Jeff Steinberg. These pieces conveyed a range of emotions, some even calling back nostalgia for old, beloved movies. Students work on these for months as a group to further their education in music and to perform this concert.
Overall, the concert was a big hit among friends and loved ones. Everyone who performed did an outstanding job. My only wish is that for the last band concert near the end of the year, there will be a larger turnout. I would love for more people to experience the beautiful music created by the hard-working individuals in our schools’ band programs. So towards the end of the year, get ready for another great concert, ask someone from the band, or Mr. McCray when the concert is, and come enjoy a free hour of amazing music. Support the Arts!
