Have you ever wondered what choir and band classes practice all day for? What do they do with all the songs they learn? For those unaware, the choir and band both have quarterly concerts. These concerts are a part of the grade for the class. They take place at the Activity Center and are open for the public with no charge! The Spring Band Concert is Thursday, May 2nd, and the Spring Choir Concert is Tuesday, May 7th, both at 7 pm.
Let’s learn more about both programs.
WHHHS CHOIR
There are two choir classes you can sign up for without an audition: Wildcat Choir, which currently runs during first bell and is open to all voices, and Treble Cats, which runs during second bell and is an all treble (or higher voiced) choir.
You can also sign up for A Cappella with an additional audition. Auditions are coming up soon in May! For your audition, you prepare a verse and chorus of a song that suits your voice. You then have to match pitches given to you by Miss Adams, our choral director. You then find out in the next couple of days if you got into one of our A Cappella groups, DYNAMIX (mixed voice group) or Take Note (treble voice group). This class runs as a zero bell, which is great if you want a singing class, but the rest of your schedule is filled already.
While Wildcat Choir and Treble Cats only prepare for concerts, A Cappella is a bit more of a commitment. Both of our A Cappella groups compete in ICHSA, a competition against other high school groups in one region of the country. A Cappella also sings at a variety of events, like the annual Harrison tree lighting, the Cyclones game, and graduation. This means that during the second semester they tend to have after school rehearsals in addition to their normal zero bell time in order to prepare.
A Cappella also has their own concert at the end of the year called MIC’D, and although there is a cost to attend this concert, it is definitely worth the money. Both DYNAMIX and Take Note perform their ICHSA sets and new songs, usually pop songs. This year, MIC’D is on May 9th, and tickets will be on sale on Local Level.
Wildcat choir is a bigger class, with around 30-40 people every year. Treble Cats are usually smaller, with around 10-15 people every year. A Cappella usually has around 15 people per group. All of these groups have many different factors to offer!
Each quarter, these classes each learn about 2 to 3 songs for the concert, with the 3rd quarter concert usually having a theme. This year’s theme was a Night on Broadway, featuring songs from musicals like Les Misérables, Into the Woods, and Mean Girls. These classes are a great opportunity if you like to sing as a hobby or want to pursue a career in music.
WHHHS BAND
As for band, there are also a couple different choices regarding what you want to do. Concert band is the regular class provided by the school that has quarterly concerts to show off skills. Required alongside the concert band is pep band, which plays at events like pep assemblies and basketball games.
There is also a marching band, which is an extracurricular activity during summer and fall. Marching band performs at football games and other outdoor competitions and marching through formations as well as playing one’s instrument. These activities usually have around 30-40 people per year.
Jazz band is a separate after school program that is also available to students here. It is run by former CCM alumni Brandon Prew, with an emphasis on all things jazz, jazz fusion, latin music, and other forms of music learned. There’s also an emphasis on improvisation and working within a smaller ensemble. The jazz band has been around for over 10 years, with many former members going on to become successful musicians.
The band director, Mr. Brian Egan, says his favorite part about directing is that the music changes every day and they always get to create something new.
When asked why people should join band, Egan states that music is inspiring in many ways. “People who join band get to be a part of music, not just listen to it,” he added that there are studies that show the benefits of playing music, “Performing music live can help you relax, think differently, and become a well-rounded human.”
In response to questions about difficulties of the class, Egan argues that the discipline it takes to learn an instrument is the hardest part, saying, “Many students now want things to happen quickly but learning an instrument takes time. The more a person practices and works outside of the class, the better the music becomes.”
As the 4th quarter concert for choir and concert band is coming up, I encourage you to check them out! You might just find something you’re interested in, and even consider finding time in your class schedules for them next year!
