The Arts: A Backstage Look

Oh music, such a beauty to the ears, and an art that is meticulously developed through effort and dedication.

On December 1, AST held its winter concert for the middle and high schools.

Being a member of the Honor Band and President of the Rock Band, I had quite a lot on my hands this time compared to previous years. So, I thought I would write out some of my thoughts about how this year’s presentation went for all of us and for myself personally.

The Preparation

Music is an art, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t require discipline. Like an athlete has to train and even study to perform at their best, a musician requires the dedication to practice, rehearse and perform in public.

Preparation for the winter concert started the day the Honor Band and Rock Band got together. Our teacher gave the Honor Band the music to begin rehearsing at the start while the Rock Band got to choose the songs we would play. For the next four months after that, every week we had rehearsals to prepare for the concert.

I will go more into the struggles we faced as the Rock Band starting out and how we overcame them a little later, but for now let's look at the week before the concert and the actual event.

The Week Leading Up

The last week of November was the hardest.

I had been recruited to play with the ninth and tenth grade bands. What did this mean? Extra rehearsals and extra pieces, but hey, that’s my kind of deal. More music isn’t a struggle; it's a blessing.

The Rock Band wasn’t taking it easy as we were having as many as three rehearsals a week. To my fellow Rock Band members who read this, I thank you all for the perseverance you showed.

The Night of the Concert

On the night of the concert, despite feeling prepared, I was still uneasy about how we were going to perform.

Standing on a stage in front of a crowd always does that even when it’s not one’s “first rodeo.”

The running joke of the night for those who had a keen eye in the concert was me walking in and out constantly in a row. When it was my turn to perform, I went in with the ninth graders. We performed well; then we went off stage. After that, I reentered with the tenth graders. We performed; we left. I walked on with the Honor Band, and we performed. Then…you guessed it: I left the stage again. This time, I had to rush backstage and switch saxophones, return to the stage, and perform with the Rock Band.

Needless to say, I am surprised my lungs didn’t pop like a balloon from the strain I put them under, but hey, the passion of the craft bears no limits.

So, that was the basic overview of how the night was for me, but I’d like to take some time to look at some finer details and evaluate what we did best and what could be improved.

What Could Be Improved?

The concert wasn’t perfect, of course. Nothing in life really is, but there is always the opportunity to improve.

So, what could have been better?

Well, the main thing in my opinion is the respect we as musicians and audience should have during a concert.

As far as it goes for the student musicians, there was an issue I noticed. Those backstage didn’t keep silent. You might feel like I’m taking things too seriously, but my point stands: It is disrespectful to the ones on stage. But what can be done about it? I’d suggest we keep all those about to perform outside of backstage and only allow them near when they are about to perform. This was actually applied during the latter part of the concert, and it was helpful. It’s not the happiest of options, but as long as student musicians cannot respect the need for silence, I believe it is necessary.

As for the audience, I’d like to make an appeal: Please try to stay during the entire concert, not only me, but for so many student musicians who sacrificed so much to put together a good performance. By the end of the concert, when the Rock Band performed, at least a fourth of the original audience had left. It was discouraging, so if you, your family members, or friends are going to watch a concert, please do us all the favor of being considerate and staying for most of the performances. To those who did stay through the entire event, I’d like to express that we students really appreciate it.

What I Am Grateful For

Despite the setbacks, the concert went incredibly well.

Overall, I am very thankful for each and every member of the Rock Band. As stated earlier, the Rock Band had to fight an uphill battle since the beginning of the year. We are a group of musicians who get together purely for the passion of the art, and as with the Honor Band, we always have to keep recruiting new members as old ones graduate. This year, recruiting was especially difficult, and this was very taxing on me. I’d like to thank our club coordinator and conductor Mr. Walter Arita for his efforts in recruiting people and his help throughout the year. When it came to the moment of the performance, I was praying everything would end up well, and I felt that if it didn’t, it would have been because of me and my leadership. I felt that all the hopes and passions of my fellow musicians had been laid upon me to fulfill them. Then, when we did perform, and it was magical, everything was what I had hoped.

I will be eternally grateful for our performance. I give credit to the musicians in the Rock Band, my brothers and sisters in arms. The winter concert was the moment I knew the band would live on and that even better days are to come in the future.