The winter band concert held last week at Pine Creek High School was one of the band’s culminating projects that not only serves as a reminder of the end of the semester, but prepares students, teachers, and parents for the Christmas season. Students enrolled in the course compete in marching band during the competition season and then transition to concert band for the remainder of the first semester. 

The concert consisted of several pieces such as Winter Wonderland and A Winter’s Journey, two favorites among many. “I think that we did well at the winter concert,” says Kaia Werner (11). “It was a safe place to just enjoy music without the pressure of playing it perfectly.” The rehearsal time during and outside of class ensured that each piece was played to the best ability of each student, and many families came out to watch the performance.

Many people are unaware of what rehearsal looks like for band in general. “The band has about 120 people,” said Avree Hutto (9). “Marching season includes early Saturday mornings; three weeks of band camp before school starts with eight hour days, and practice to five on Monday and eight on Wednesday.” 

“We practiced a lot of articulations and tried to capture the spirit of the piece during class,” adds Werner. The band had been working tirelessly to ensure that the winter concert was a success. 

“The amount of work we put into our lives, especially during marching band, is unprecedented and we do it not because we have to, but because we want to,” shares Aislynn Browning (11), a sentiment shared by many of the band members. The prominence of holiday spirit this December between the band concert and other events such as spirit week, choir concert, and Winter Formal is what makes the last weeks of the semester one of the most eventful at Pine Creek.