This October, Southwest’s Bands and Orchestra set the bar high as they played at this year’s opening Fall concert which centered around the theme of Sounds of Nature. Listeners got to hear from a variety of ensembles and musicians from every grade level, featuring both group performances and highlighting individual students in small groups and solos. The concert was a promising start to the year and showed both the audience and performers an idea of what they have to look forward to!
With five band and jazz ensembles, Southwest does an exemplary job of cultivating a community that supports and fosters hard workers and talented individuals. Opening the night up with a warm atmosphere, the concert started with a short jazz combo to set the tempo of the remaining program. Shortly after, one of Southwest’s largest groups, Symphonic Band, played two contrasting pieces. The first song “Gathering of Eagles” by Robert Buckey demonstrates the bands ability to play with force and power; the second, “Chasing Sunlight” by Cait Nishimura shows a more emotional side of the instruments, ending their set with a softer piece. When asked to share her thoughts on their performance overall, Danika Svendson (‘29) said “I think we did a really good job!”
Following the Symphonic Band, the Wind Ensemble played three different pieces, each centered around nature and holding a captivated audience. Each song – “Sleeping Giant” by Cait Nishimura, “Sheltering Sky” by John Mackey, and “Bayou Breakdown” by Brant Karick – showed off the band members’ skills while allowing the audience to enjoy a nature filled set. Nao Sabelko-Watson (‘27) said, “I think we did really well. My favorite song was definitely Bayou Breakdown, but I also liked watching the cello solos,” referencing a later performance by the string orchestra. The final band group, closing the concert, Jazz One ended with two high energy songs, each with highly impressive solos from different members of the ensemble. Overall, the bands displayed the hard work they’ve put into the concert, and will surely continue to impress us all year round.
In addition to the band and jazz ensembles, Southwest is also home to a Chamber Orchestra. In this concert, the orchestra played three different pieces – “Molly on the Shore,” Nishumura’s “Petite Flower Duet,” and Vivaldu’s double cello concerto. In one of the most meaningful and exciting moments of the night, seniors Clark Burdick and Dahlia Karch played Vivaldi’s powerful cello duet. Each of them have been members of the Southwest orchestra for four years, and this concert allowed them to showfare their growth throughout the years. The orchestra’s performance allowed the night to close with a bang, and showed off the well-rounded musical department.
Each of these concerts showed how much skill our school holds in its musical department, but it is not by luck. Halfway through the concert, Nikki Nierman, a member of the Performing Arts Council (PAC) called on community members to help donate to this program. While arts programs are a great privilege they are also expensive to maintain, both instruments and their preservation costing a large amount of money. In addition, school trips and activities also depend on the community’s support so that each student has an equal opportunity to participate. In order to keep seeing our musical departments thrive, take a minute to spread the word and consider donating at the various fundraisers they throw, such as Hot Notes. Overall, the fall orchestra and band concert was a resounding success, and was a perfect opportunity for the community to come together and see how these students have grown!
