By: Cruz Ferreira, Web Editor
Moreau Catholic’s first band concert of the year, “A Most Wonderful Christmas,” on December 4 and 5 at 7:00 p.m., was the first band performance to take place in the Br. Donald Blauvelt, CSC Performing Arts Center (BPAC). Most of the music was hand selected by the band students, including pieces like “Polar Express,” “We Wish You A Klezmer Christmas,” and, of course, “A Most Wonderful Christmas.”
The concert was rehearsed and conducted by Justin Firmeza, Moreau’s band and orchestra director. He graduated from Moreau in the class of 2020, and trained under the previous band director of 39 years, Ted Newton.
Firmeza describes the process of picking sheet music, saying, “Picture us going into summer vacation, but looking at Christmas music. I know it sounds funny, but… it gets us prepared, gets us to be able to take on more difficult literature.” While students picked most of the music, there are actually many different classes that take part in concerts.
There’s a total of five band classes here at Moreau. There’s jazz ensemble and string orchestra, and three levels of concert band instrument classes, including: instrumental music, symphonic band, and the most advanced, honors wind ensemble. All five classes had an opportunity to play in the concert, even those who picked up an instrument for the first time this year.
All freshmen who take band must participate in the winter concert for their final grade, regardless of prior band experience. Junior bass player and auxiliary percussionist Casimira Dupaya, or Casi, who started learning bass her freshman year, recalled, “Mr. Newton, our former band director, got me into jazz workshop and, from then, I joined jazz ensemble in jazz combo my sophomore year, and I just got more involved in band in general throughout the years.”
Similarly, senior Nicolas Cheong swapped from clarinet to flute in the eighth grade and had to learn a whole new playing style. While he was supposed to be in the honors winds ensemble this year, Cheong is currently in the orchestra class due to a scheduling conflict.
While Cheong and Dupaya both started learning their instruments around the same time, other students have been playing for much longer. Stuti Pemmaraju is a sophomore who began playing violin when she was in the first grade, having been in various orchestras since the fourth grade.
Another important fact among band performers, as Firmeza says, “[Music pieces have] details such that if you screw it up and you don’t do your work at home, you know, the piece really falls apart.” Musicians have to practice their pieces before the shows and it’s different for every person.
Junior Vihaan Kant, who plays piano, marimba, and bongos, goes over his pieces to prepare along with listening to jazz. Senior Mark Ramos takes it a step further, saying, “it’s a lot more mental preparation, so I’m probably in the car jamming out to some records–like Cannonball Adderley or other alto saxophonists, or I’m, like, singing Amy Winehouse.” Ramos plays three different saxophones, and had various solos in the second half during this year’s winter band concert.
All in all, the winter band concert was a great success; Both days were sold out by the time the concerts happened, and it definitely showed off the BPAC’s great design. The Pops Concert is next up, which will contain popular music from movies, shows, or games, and will be on March 13 & 14 at 7:00, at Moreau Catholic High School.
Firmeza best put the experience into words: “They put us on such a great performance in a brand new space that there was a lot of logistical difference from when we were in Teves Theater. I appreciate the students being open to learning, being enthusiastic to put on two shows, which they have never done before. So, all I can say is I’m proud and I’m ready to move forward and help the students to grow to be their best, whole selves in the next semester.”
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