Can someone give me a beat? Can I get a little more trumpet in the background? Music is a wonderful outlet and activity offered to all, especially for those in the band. The band had its yearly winter concert and it was nothing short of magical.
Sophomore oboe player sophomore Allie Ryave discussed her history with the instrument: “I stopped playing the oboe for about two years in middle school due to some complications with the unusual reed that goes into it.” But now, Allie has picked the oboe back up and is playing better than ever among band-mates and friends.
Sophomore Justin Corbin said, “What I like about band is that everyone is really close and that you’re always surrounded by friends and people who care about you. Also, there aren’t too many egos in band, which is nice, so you truly feel like you can be yourself.”
The last song of the concert was “Sleigh Bells,” and this song is special because the current band members invite band alumni to dust off their old instruments and come on stage to perform this song that has been a tradition for many years.
“I actually forgot about that tradition and didn’t know that was going to happen,” says Allie with a laugh. “Unfortunately, there aren’t any alumni oboe players, so playing the song wasn’t too different to me. But it is kind of like the choir’s version of ‘Betelehemu’ [a song sung by the choirs and the visiting alumni], so it’s fun in that way.”
“I think it’s really cool to be able to see all of the alumni come back and even see some of the adults that will come onto the stage,” says Justin. “It’s also nice to see some of your friends visiting from college. I also liked to see what past alumni played the same instrument as me!”