Viewers have one last chance to “hear some of the finest musicians in the area at the high school age,” according to music teacher John DaBaldo.
At 7 pm on May 17, 18, and 19, Carlmont’s Instrumental Music Program is putting on its annual Spring Concert Series. Each night is entirely unique: String Orchestra and Concert Band perform on Wednesday, Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra perform on Thursday, and the Jazz Ensembles and Combos perform on Friday.
There are must-see highlights on every night, including “The Great Locomotive Chase” by Robert W. Smith on Wednesday, the “William Tell Overture” by Gioachino Rossini on Thursday, and Jazz Ensemble’s Senior send-off song, “Blue Bossa,” on Friday.
Beautiful posters are displayed throughout the school to advertise the event.
Rishabh Kokal, a sophomore in Concert band, said, “I’m really excited—I think the entire band is really excited—to play ‘The Great Locomotive Chase.’”
Thursday will bring another noteworthy, yet difficult piece called “Incantation and Dance,” by John Barnes Chance, which will be performed by Symphonic Band.
Thursday will also include a pre-show put on by the double reed instruments.
“It’s kind of interesting to hear that sound because it’s not a sound that you hear all the time,” said oboist Alyssa Fong, a junior.
A variety of sounds will also be heard on Friday during Jazz Ensemble’s send-off song.
“Every year Jazz Ensemble does a song where all the seniors solo on it,” said Matthew Bowker, a senior in several jazz groups and Symphonic Band.
This year they are playing “Blue Bossa,” by Dexter Gordon, which has almost three million views on YouTube, almost three hundred times the average number of views an entertainment video gets, according to the website Tubular Insights.
Bowker added, “It’s kind of emotional just saying goodbye to the program and everything, but I can be happy with leaving the program and with how [the remaining members] are going to carry it.”
These musicians have been working on this music since the Winter concert in December, according to Noa Carreras, a sophomore in Symphonic Band.
Selena Sun, a freshman in Symphony Orchestra, said, “The aspect that makes this show special is the amount of work we put into it.”
The quality of the show will also be contributed to by the excellent sense of community that the music program has.
Carreras said, “ Since it’s the seniors’ last show, I feel like we’re giving it our all.”
The music itself also gives people a sense of community.
“Music is just something that connects people,” said Fong. “It’s the thing that brings us all together.”
