On Wednesday, January 25, 2017, the Highland High concert band joined with the Hillside Middle School concert band for a performance in the Highland auditorium. 

                Although everyone involved finds the concert to be very difficult due to a lack of organization and practice together beforehand, this is a new tradition for the Highland band, and is definitely seen as one of the more fun concerts the band partakes in. 

                “The hardest part is the logistics of fitting 100+ students on stage at once,” Highland band teacher Curtis Black said, “this year we had to add the stage extension to make it work, it’s just logistically very challenging.”

                Although Black found the spacing to be the hardest part, many students and even Leland Watson, the Hillside band teacher, disagree.  Most of them seemed to find the lack of practice as a full group to cause the most difficulties. 

                “The hardest part is probably finding the time to rehearse.  They got to rehearse one time before they actually played it,” Watson said “so in the concert, you’re hearing the second time they’ve actually played it together.”

                In order to coordinate the practicing, the two teachers needed to discuss tempo and conducting styles beforehand, then try to take that information into their own rehearsals.  Yet, even if the conducting styles are exactly the same, the sheer number of people results in an unpredictable, yet very impressive band. 

                As difficult as this concert may be, it plays a big role in recruiting middle school students to join band as they come to Highland.  Because a lot of Hillside students end up coming to Highland, they are the best students to target when attempting to get a bigger class size.

                “I would really like to join, especially after hearing them play the harder songs.” Claire Workman, a middle schooler at Hillside middle school said. 

                As fun as this concert may have been, some Highland band members feel as though playing easier music isn’t allowing them to grow as a musician, despite the aspects of fun involved in this concert. 

                “Hillside is pretty great, but they still have a lot to learn,” Araya Persels, a clarinet player for the Highland concert band said, “we need people helping us go forward instead of bringing us back.”

                The concert started off with Hillside taking the stage.  They played three songs: “Shipwrecked” by Ryan Nowlin, “Music from Carmen” by Bizet, and lastly “Selections from The Lion King” by Elton John and Hans Zimmer. Highland then played their two pieces which were “Music From How to Train Your Dragon” by John Powell and “Carry on my Wayward Son” by Kerry Livgreen.  And for the grand finale, Hillside joined Highland on stage to play “Star Trek” arranged by Michael Brown and “Harry Potter” arranged by Michael Story.