The Clague Middle School eighth grade band participated in the 73rd annual Bands in Review at Huron High School’s Meyer Auditorium on March 18. The event also featured performances by the Scarlett Middle School Band, Huron Varsity Band, Huron Concert Band Gold, Huron Concert Band Green, Huron Symphony Band and the Community High School Jazz Band. The event was a fundraiser for the Ann Arbor Public Schoos (AAPS) Band Program with tickets costing $5 for individuals and $10 for families of four, making it a very worthwhile concert experience.
“The biggest challenge is that it takes place shortly after Orchestra Night and Band & Orchestra Festival.” Clague Band Director James MacArthur said. “It’s a lot of difficult music to prepare in a short amount of time.”
The Clague Band performed “Behemoth” By Adrian B. Sims and the Scarlett Band played “Jungle Dance” by Brian Balmages. During the Huron Varsity Band’s performance, some students turned their music stands around and played without any music, which was a shock to the crowd. The Varsity Band performed “Early One Morning” by Pierre LaPlante, and “Skyward” by Katahj Copely.
Another highlight of Bands in Review is when half of the eighth grade musicians from Clague and Scarlett joined Huron’s Concert Band Green to perform “Starlight Adventures” by Adrian B. Sims and the other half of the Eighth Grade musicians from Clague and Scarlett performed “Scarlet Echoes” by Christopher Artua with the Huron Symphony Band. The combined bands rehearsed together for the first time only a couple of hours before the concert.
“The biggest challenge is that it takes place shortly after Orchestra Night and Band & Orchestra Festival.” Clague Band Director James MacArthur said. “It’s a lot of difficult music to prepare in a short amount of time.”
“I enjoyed playing with the high schoolers,” eighth grade trumpet player Karim Mizyed said. “They were very helpful and gave good advice.”
Bands in Review gives student musicians a chance to meet future bandmates and an opportunity for middle and high school students to perform together. Bands and Review also gives the high school band teachers a good chance to get a preview of eighth graders talents before auditions and start to figure out what these new students would need to learn.
“I hope by hearing the High School bands up close they appreciate how much more music there is to learn and how much more they can improve their own playing skills,” MacArthur said.
Before the concert, and in between each band performance, the audience was treated to performances by the Community High School Jazz Combo “Zeitgeist.” They played many different songs, while directed by Jack Wagner, head of the Jazz Band.
“I enjoy seeing the other bands that we don’t get to hear very often,” MacArthur said. “I hear the Clague students play every day, so it’s very enjoyable hearing the students. Many of the Huron Band student’s are my formal students so it’s fun to hear how much better they’ve gotten.”
The Huron Concert Band Gold played “The Picador March” by J.P. Sousa, arranged by Balent, and “American Riversongs” by Pierre LaPlante. The Huron Concert Band Green performed “San Antonio Dances” by Frank Tichell. The grand finale was the Huron Symphony Band performing a sixteen minute piece called “Dope” by Katahj Copley.
Bands in Review also took place at Pioneer and Skyline High Schools and included their feeder middle schools to perform with them.
