On Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 7:00PM, I entered the lobby of SCHS’s theater building and shook off the chills from the cold weather outside. I sat down in the comfy chairs behind rows of families and friends there in support of the performing arts department. With no previous experience of going to a high school band performance, I did not know what to expect.
On the crowded stage, SCHS’s band director, Johnny Erdman, walked proudly on stage as a warm light shined on him and the rest of the stage. He welcomed everyone to the event, thanking the musicians and students for their preparation for the concert.
The theater quickly filled with music while the band members moved their fingers back and forth on the instruments to warm up. As the concert started, the music grew loud before slowly turning into a slow rhythm. Soloists stood to showcase their talent before returning to their seat as the audience applauded respectfully. Suddenly, the music jumped in volume, almost scaring me, before continuing to the rhythm that previously encompassed the theater.
At the end of the song, the band members all put their instruments down in synchronization and flipped through music sheets on the stands. Erdman described the next song, adding a joke shortly after, making the audience chuckle.
After three songs, Erdman turned around to face the audience. He mentioned that the current band, Symphonic Band 1, would exit the stage for Symphonic Band 2. The lights dimmed as the chatter arose from the audience. After a few minutes of waiting, Erdman arrived back at the stage and described the rest of the songs that would be playing.
“A Little Tango Music” by Adam Gorb was the next piece they played. At first there was a consistent rhythm, but it suddenly turned into a different beat. The new rhythm made me want to get up and dance around like I was in the middle of a ballroom dancing with people hand in hand. Then, it came back to the rhythm before and became louder and louder. A trumpet solo near the end of the song entered to close it.
The hour-long concert performed by SCHS band students allowed audiences to see instrumental music in a new way. Although Erdman described that every song had a specific theme to it, audience members could picture an image along with each piece of music played. Whether it was snow falling or an intense argument between two people, the music had a meaningful impact for musicians and audience members alike.