Arts & Entertainment
MHS Musings: Winter Concert Features MHS Bands
This year's winter band concert showcased the hard work of MHS' concert bands and wind ensemble.
It's been a busy year for the bands.
They've had a full season of playing at Millers varsity football games, three accelerated recitals (with three more to go this year) and have sent dozens of students to Region I honor bands, multiple students to All-State Ensembles, a student to the All-Eastern Ensembles, and even one to the .
Among all of this, the bands have been rehearsing for their first concert of the year and have spent months learning, playing, fine-tuning, and perfecting their music.
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The MHS bands presented their winter concert on Wednesday night to a large crowd in the auditorium. The bands are under the direction of the school's two band directors: Mindy Scheierman and Matthew Spatz.
The concert also featured one song conducted by Alyssa DiNapoli, a student teacher from Montclair State University who has spent the better part of the first semester at Millburn High School, working alongside Scheierman and Spatz. DiNapoli conducted a piece at the concert with one of the two upperclass bands and conducted the freshman ensemble's "Star-Spangled Banner," which opened the concert.
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The Concert Band, the freshman ensemble, rehearses daily with Spatz. They performed a great program that featured their large ensemble, including 13 students involved in this year's Region ensembles. They performed "Liadov Fanfare," "Shalom!" and "Rampage!" at the winter concert.
The MHS Wind Ensemble is a select band consisting of accelerated band students who rehearse with Scheierman during regular-scheduled class periods multiple times per week, and on scheduled evenings. An impressive 20 students from the Wind Ensemble are involved in Region or All-State ensembles.Their impressive repertoire at Wednesday's concert included "Amazing Grace" (which featured senior saxophonist Ian Griffith) and "Rikudim." Student assistants for the Wind Ensemble are trumpeter Diana Christian and floutist Nicole St. Louis. Sam Farid is the percussion coordinator.
The sophomores, juniors and seniors that are involved in the band program are equally distributed into two symphonic bands that rehearse daily with Scheierman. The Symphonic Band Blue (which rehearses during sixth period) performed "The Chimes of Liberty March," "Mystery on Mena Mountain," "Highlands of Monroney" and Balmages' "Not Afraid to Dream."
The Symphonic Band White (which rehearses during seventh period) performed "Heroes of Flight," "Royal Coronation Dances," "Air for Band" (with DiNapoli) and closed with an eight-minute favorite, "The Trail West."
The concert couldn't have gone better. In fact, during our performance (I play clarinet in one of the symphonic bands) in between pieces, Scheierman turned to me, saying "What a great concert. All the bands have been fantastic."
After the concert, Scheierman added that she "thought all ensembles were professional, polished and extremely musical at the concert. Each student in the band program must be commended on another outstanding performance at MHS."
This year, the students who were accepted into the Region I High School Symphonic Band had a familiar face at the podium. Scheierman was selected by a panel of her peers to conduct the band at their performance, which occurred on Jan. 30 at Randolph High School.
To purchase a CD recording of Wednesday's concert, visit the MHS Music Department's website.
The MHS bands still have plenty of performances this school year. The Millburn High School jazz bands will be featured at this year's Pops Concert on March 23 and the Night of Jazz XII is on April 28, which is when the MMS Jazz Band will be featured. The Concert Band, Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Bands will present their Spring Band Concert on May 18 to close out the year.
