From keys to strings and to drums, both Cover and Jazz Band have been working hard preparing for the April 14 concert. “Classical Hits Through the Decades” was a concert meant to celebrate music from all decades, especially the members’ favorite hits. These hits included “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones, “Blitzkrieg Bop” by The Ramones, “Open Arms” by Journey, “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division, “Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer and “Welcome to the Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance.
Sophomore vocalist Clare Isaacs expressed her excitement for the performance through her dedication to singing.
“I got into performing and being the lead singer for bands through theater, as I am a seasoned veteran at the Lyric Thelma Gaylord Academy,” Isaacs said. “From what I can remember, I just started out of nowhere to sing and dance, and when asked if that interested me and I’d like to take voice lessons, I said yes.”
Through her work and effort, Isaacs showed commitment to the performance.
“What I do while practicing is just moving and dancing with the music, this is so I can start to visualize and know my rough plan of what I’ll do at the concert itself,” Isaacs said. “I almost know for certain it probably sounds and looks stupid, but I believe you can’t create or achieve anything without being a little stupidly funny sometimes.”
Junior guitarist Liam Humphries shared a similar sentiment with his own journey in music.
“I play the electric guitar — usually on lead — and I started playing in first grade because I thought the guitar just looked really cool, plus I already played the violin, so I thought it wouldn’t be too hard a transition,” Humphries said. “I got really into it in middle school, though, after joining a band with some friends.”
Members prioritize as much of their time as possible to music.
“We’re practicing after school a few days, usually Fridays, but now a bit more due to how close the show is,” Humphries said. “I personally practice the songs at home and take time to make sure I know everything well enough to help do my part to get the band back on track if we start to lose where we are.”
The Jazz band has been in practice just as much as the cover band, with its own members striving for improvement and success in their work. Junior drummer and baritone saxophone player James Murphy believes that it is performances like these that give the members the opportunity to show off their skills.
“It’s when we gather as a community to play songs that we can see how everyone has grown,” Murphy said. “The jazz band has changed a lot compared to last year.”
Many of these changes consist of new members, like sophomore drummer Tristian Coon, who joined the jazz band this year with his interest in music.
“I was not a big jazz fan myself, but joining jazz showed me a new type of music that I could explore and learn about,” Coon said. “Jazz gives people a way to find themselves through music, just like any other music program.”
