The winter holidays are marked by several annual traditions. For some, it’s eating cookies by a roaring fire. For others, it’s buying a Christmas tree and singing carols. But if you’re a music student at North, it means dressing up in formal wear and putting yourself and your skills out for the world (or at least, fellow students and families) to see. Because for them, the holidays mean concerts.
“We have concerts to display what we worked on during the semester, and sometimes, the entire year,” said choir director Ms. Katie Meo. “They strengthen performance skills.”
The music selection process for the winter concerts begins over the summer, when teachers hear songs at shows or online. If one strikes a chord, they’ll write down the name. Music already owned by the school is perused and considered. Different songs work well with different voice parts, so as the numbers of choir members fluctuate year to year, different songs can be used.
Every year, the Music Department hosts three concerts- a shortened one for the students during the school day, and two for the public in the evening. The large number of ensembles in the Music Department requires the two concerts so all of the groups have the time to preform everything they’ve learned. The different ensembles preform on either of the two days. For an example, this past winter, the Jazz band and Chamber Choirs preformed the first concert, which was on Dec. 12, while Show Choir and Concert Band performed during the second, which was on Dec 19.
The in-school concert wasn’t always housed in the new gym. Before it was built, the concert was held inside the theater. But there was a slight problem.
“We could only fit about a third of the school inside the theater at a time,” said Meo. “We would have three concerts throughout the day, which as you can imagine, was tiring for the performers.”
When the new gym was available as an alternative concert space, the teachers gave it serious consideration.
“We were nervous at first,” said jazz band director Mr. Perry Andrews. “The gym was the same place we had pep rallies; we weren’t sure how everyone would behave. But the first time, they were such a fabulous audience, we thought, ‘This is great, let’s do it every year.’”
This past concert season was particularly successful, with several standout numbers like the seasonal favorite “Sleigh Ride,” performed with great enthusiasm by the female members of the Show Choir. “The Evening News” was a surprise hit that involved playing the recognizable news theme was played using only percussion interuntment to
Several groups are audition only, such as Show Choir or Jazz Band, but some are classes that practice every day as a group, like Concert Choir and Concert Band. By taking those classes, students can improve skills daily so when the time comes, they will give a strong audition. But the extra effort is worth it.
“Jazz Band has allowed me to be myself and become a more well-rounded person,” said senior Ben Worobey, a tenor saxophone player. “I’ve learned so many life lessons from Mr. Andrews and my friends there. I can’t imagine having as good of a time in high school without it.”