In-Concert begins on a sweet note

On Saturday, March 5, there will be a district-wide musical concert that will include all of the best high school musicians in the area. Students from Burlingame, Hillsdale, San Mateo, Capuchino, Mills and Aragon High School will be performing.

Here at Aragon, band director Troy Davis and orchestra and choir director David Martin are involved in selecting musicians to participate in the 14-year tradition.

Each director from the schools has a part in choosing the songs and musicians. As for the songs, Davis says, “The songs are a mixture of classical literature, choir masterpieces and jazz, among others.”

For orchestra and choir, Martin says, “The songs for the performance include folk, classical, and cultural music pieces.”

Four different musical groups—jazz band, symphonic band, choir, and orchestra—are involved with the In-Concert performance. Each of these groups differs slightly in how students are chosen to perform in In-Concert. Jazz band is one of the most difficult groups to play in because it is an audition-only band.

On the other hand, symphonic band has auditions for principal chairs in each section of the band. The other musicians will be recommended by their band directors.

In choir, the students are selected by the director, and in orchestra, there are auditions for principal chairs in each section.

The musicians have practices all throughout February and part of March. There are three night rehearsals leading up to the concert that go from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. A final all-day rehearsal, on the day before the concert, is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This culminating practice happens at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center, which also serves as the location of the In-Concert performance the next evening.

Two-year participant and sophomore Anthony Privatera says, “I did the concert last year and I liked it because it had really good players. I was a little nervous, but we prepare very well.”

Likewise, junior and three-year participant for In-Concert Alex Lew says, “I like that there are better players than in normal band. I get nervous on the stage and it takes more concentration because there is more pressure.”

“I liked meeting new people and also playing in an honor orchestra because it’s a lot different from school orchestra,” says sophomore Sam Bunarjo about his experiences from last year. “The experience is a lot more lively because everyone in the honor orchestra is really passionate about music.

Martin and Davis always strive to help out participating students with expert advice. Each year, Martin says, “A guest conductor from a college or university, or a local professional musician helps with the performance. This gives a good opportunity to the students who normally don’t have this type of experience everyday.”

This year, Andrew Mogrelia, the Music Director of the San Francisco Conservatory Orchestra, serves as a guest conductor at In-Concert. Mogrelia is an internationally renowned conductor who conducted many leading orchestras in Europe before returning to the US.

In-Concert will take place on Saturday, March 5, at 7 p.m. at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center.