Band Final Concert is Changing to Teach Students

The final TCS band concert this year will focus more on teaching TCS students about the school’s band.

Every year TCS band has a final concert where they play the songs they practice during the second semester. This year the concert is changing and it will be focused on teaching the audience about the band and the instruments.

“A didactic concert is about teaching listeners what music is and how it works. In this case, it is about teaching the children and the audience,” said Carlos Julian Fernandez high school band teacher.

The new concert idea consists of involving the elementary kids more, and the audience. The concert will be directed by two elementary kids who have really little knowledge of the band and the instrument, also, the kids will direct the concert and introduce all the bands.

“The idea is that the elementary chorus and the middle school and high school bands join in the same repertoire,” said Jimena Hincapie elementary band teacher.

The school’s concerts had always been something really simple but this year with the idea of the didactic concert they are looking to encourage kids to join the school’s band or create their own bands. The idea was proposed in the art’s department and they accepted it to see how it works.

“The idea was a team conversation. Normally, we do a final concert and this year we wanted something different so that the children would not only listen but come out with some learning,” said Hincapie.

In each performance the kids will try to involve the audience, teaching them new things. An example would be a solo from one of the instruments or a question to the audience.

“Being chosen to play a solo made me really nervous because you start thinking what will happen if I play something wrong but also it made me feel proud that I got chosen over the other saxophones,” said Pedro Velazquez 11th grader and member of the band.

A kid from k4 or k5 will be selected to get on the stage and direct the school band even though they have no knowledge on what is happening but will give them the opportunity to become a band director for a few minutes.

“I think that that part of the concert was well planned and was a great opportunity for the kid and when he finished we could see on his face that he was really happy,” Velazquez said.