The acapella group, Treble with Angels, performed at the restaurant.
Throughout Oct. and Nov., Aragon music students perform for evening diners at the B Street & Vine restaurant in downtown San Mateo on Sundays.
According to orchestra and choir director John Chen, B Street & Vine has been a supporter and patron of the Aragon music programs for almost ten years, collaborating with the school to bring students and diners a unique experience. This year, the restaurant hosted the Aragon orchestra, the drama department, jazz combos and Aragon male and female acapella groups, September and Treble with Angels.
“The restaurant owner is a huge supporter of music, especially music programs in school,” Chen said. “He makes a donation to the [Aragon] music department every time students perform there.”
The benefits are not limited to funding the music department, as students were given the unique opportunity to perform professionally outside of school.
“It definitely widens the musical horizons of music students,” Chen said. “Students are responsible for everything: getting there, picking the set, knowing what to do … It’s giving them a preview and training of what a working musician is like.”
Some performers saw the independent and professional setting as daunting, including senior Jason Palmiery, a member of September.
“School performances are easy because you know everyone there,” Palmiery said. “[At B Street & Vine], this is more like an open environment, and you don’t know most of these faces. Your heart’s racing because you’re hoping you don’t mess up.”
The experience challenged students to improve for upcoming concerts and performances.
“I think [the performance opened] our eyes to see who has been doing their parts and practicing,” Palmiery said. “It makes us realize who needs to work harder.”
However, some performers saw the experience at B Street & Vine differently.
Freshman Nico Paoli played jazz guitar alongside a friend on bass.
“It’s a really good experience because there’s not a lot of places for kids to find music gigs outside of school”
“It’s a really good experience because there’s not a lot of places for kids to find music gigs outside of school,” Paoli said. “We’re still kids, but we can go out and perform … It’s fun having something outside of the concerts.”
Students also faced logistical challenges, such as the lack of microphones and a small venue.
“Performance space [is small], and you’re never going to get what you expect,” said Joan Lee, Treble with Angels singer and soloist. “You expect a stage, and you get a tiny little thing cramped in next to the kitchen [with] no mic system … It’s really up to us.”
B Street & Vine saw increased business when the Aragon students performed, but there were some struggles accommodating the crowd with the music.
“The more people that we have from the school,” said Gina Banilla, a waitress at B Street & Vine, “the harder it is to work around just because there’s not a whole lot of room for them to go when they’re [not performing]. They do bring in a lot of business and a lot of our customers really like it … People will come just to see the students here.”
Despite the challenges of nerves and setting, the Aragon Music Department voiced an eagerness to return to B Street & Vine.
“Hopefully they’ll invite us back sometime this year because … they’re able to gig like a real, professional musician would,” said September singer and senior Daniel Navarrete-Estassi.
