The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Eagle Regiment band program hosted a winter concert from 6-8 p.m. in the auditorium on Friday, Dec. 13, promoting the different bands within the program and showcasing diverse music styles.
The concert included performances from the wind orchestra, symphonic band and jazz band. Each band played different pieces of music that highlighted their talent and musicality. The concert featured holiday music and dress, and many band members performed in holiday attire, like Santa hats.
The audience, including friends and family that wanted to see the performance, had to purchase a ticket. Each ticket was $10, and all of the funds generated by the concert were recycled back into the program for future band endeavors.
The winter concert was the Eagle Regiment’s first concert of the school year due to auditorium repairs. Luckily, band members believe that the lack of practice in the space did not affect the quality of their performance.
“I think that our performance went incredibly well; I feel like our practice really showed, and we were able to play our music well for the audience,” freshman Avery Duque said.
Band Director Robert Rivero and his students spent a lot of time preparing in order to make the performance as successful as possible in front of the large audience the auditorium held. The Eagle Regiment rehearsed together on Dec. 12, in addition to the individual practices done by each student for their designated performances.
All the band members enjoyed their practices and final performance, especially the new members eager to do more shows of this nature.
“We came in working really hard for it and the performance ended pretty well for everyone in the band just like we expected it to be,” senior Alexander Hand said.
The concert’s performances were not strictly by the entire band: there was a flute duet, a few solos, a saxophone quartet that played jazz music and even a piano player. This gave the show some variety and made it entertaining for all of the people in the audience.
“The solos impressed me; it was surprising to see multiple in the same pieces,” Duque said. “I think they really added to the songs; it was also nice to see the diversity of the solos.”
The auditorium was full of friends and family members that could not wait to see their loved ones perform. Still, people do not just go to watch the Eagle Regiment to support the students; the sheer quality of the band’s performances always attract viewers.
The many setbacks the band had to work through to prepare did not prevent them from putting on a performance worthy of applause. The hard work that went into the concert was apparent to everyone from the audience to the performers themselves, and both parties alike look forward to all of the concerts to come.
