Winter concert and “The Colors of Broadway” performances

On Dec. 16, the Winter Concert and “The Colors of Broadway” performances were held in the auditorium to a standing room only audience. Students in the sixth, seventh and eighth/freshmen choirs along with the jazz band performed in the concert. Musical theater students performed in “The Colors of Broadway.”

Students in the Winter Concert practiced their songs for months and learned about choral music, vocal exercises and performing.

“I am quite excited to be a part of the concert since me and my fellow peers have been practicing for the last few months for the concert,” said freshman Faseh Ahmad. “To prepare for this concert my class had been practicing our vocals and we practiced singing together many times to make sure we were singing the same notes and not being scattered.” 

“I drink hot water before I go to school so that way my vocals are nice and clear and my voice doesn’t have any cracks while singing,” said seventh grader Saima Popal. “I also do voice exercises.” Another seventh grader, Dina Darder,  agreed that vocal exercises are necessary. “I practice some high and low notes so my voice doesn’t squeak or crack,” Darder said.

According to the music teacher, Mr. Kelby Khan, the concert had a couple of purposes.

“Concerts are nice! Especially when people sound good,” said Khan. “Concerts have that power to bring everyone together. It’s a sign of a good school community.” 

Students also saw the benefits of having a concert.

“I think the point of the concert is to express ourselves and enjoy ourselves while hearing different songs,” said Popal. “People can also become inspired by the songs and try to make their own songs in the future.”

Khan picked out all of the songs for the concert. The sixth grade choir sang “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” “Cantar!” and “My Favorite Things.” The seventh graders performed “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Blackbird” and “September.” And the eighth and freshmen combined choir performed “River of Dreams,” “Sleigh Ride” and a medley of Queen songs. The jazz band performed “Chameleon.” 

After the choir finished performing, it was time for “The Colors of Broadway.” The seventh graders performed “It’s the Hard Knock Life” from the musical “Annie.” The eighth graders performed “Schyler Sisters” from Hamilton.  

“It was very nerve wracking at first, but for most people and for me, once I get up on stage it’s almost over and I’ll be able to sing, dance and perform,” eighth grader Antonio Rodriguez said.  

“Something I enjoyed was the thrill of performing and listening to the hard work everyone had put in,” sophomore Tracy Yang said. “The concert was amazing and the other performers did wonderful.”