It is that time where Horizon’s orchestra, choir, and band are prepared for their winter concerts. But some students may question; what is the process of preparing for a concert? What goes on behind the scenes for students and directors during concert season?
Timothy Dailey, Horizon’s band director, describes the process of preparing for a concert as,“ It is a little higher in terms of intensity and nervousness because you’re playing in front of family, friends, other schools, other people, but the goal is to perform the way we do in class on stage.” Jay Goodmanson, Horizon’s choir director, commented about the preparations for the choir concert, “It’s a lot of work putting everything together… The preparations and logistics take about six to eight weeks.”
Along with students practicing every day in class, they are also expected to practice for a chunk of time outside of class every day. In the words of Alexander Duran, Horizon’s Orchestra Director and Associate Band Director, “They should be practicing for at least one hour a day. Now for most people this is not achievable so I say they should practice one to two hours a week, which includes weekends.”
Each of the concert songs are chosen by the director with their choices being influenced by a variety of factors. Mr. Duran commented,“The music we pick really depends on the year and group, so we try to pick music not only that we like. But also music that will be fun and challenging to perform.” This gives a wide variety of songs to be performed in each concert from season to season and year to year.
Performing on stage in front of hundreds of people that can include friends, family, and people from other schools can be a nerve wracking experience. Mr. Goodsmanson commented on his feelings while performing on stage: “As a conductor it’s not really that difficult for us. All the anxiety is on the performer. I just wave my hands and everyone starts and good luck.”
Ben Roder, a former marching band member, reflected on his feelings during last season´s band concert by saying, “It is kind of nerve racking… but it is also a lot of fun because everyone is cheering for you.”
Some students may wonder what is the appeal of a music class? Mr. Duran says, what makes not only orchestra, but music in general special is that, “We are a family, we get to bond over the same types of things, we get to bond with our sections…We get to have fun every day in class making music. We don’t have to write essays or solve math problems or anything like that, we just get to have fun.¨
Watching and playing music is a magical experience. Mr. Dailey says,“The success of that performance is really satisfying… There are many reasons for someone to join a music class. Some want to be musicians, they want to be excellent in the music field. Some want to hang out with their friends and be a part of a team, and be a leader and enjoy the activity.”
It would be an excellent idea to consider going to the concerts done by Horizon’s music department to show appreciation for the hard work the students and directors have done in preparing and practicing for weeks. Even if you cannot make it to the winter concerts there will still be more performances in the spring and summer. Who knows? Maybe some students will find inspiration to join a music class.
