Band prepares for upcoming concert

Sophia Comas, Features Editor

In preparation for Tuesday’s concert, Manhattan High band members are pulling out all the stops to make sure their performance is fantastic.

With excessive amounts of time spent rehearsing, the band hopes to perform a set that will thrill the audience.                              

“[They have been practicing] since the beginning of the semester in January,” Joel Gittle, band director, said. “The band students have worked very hard.”

Despite all of the practice time, students need to do more than just play a musical instrument. Part of their rehearsals are also meant to address outside influences that can affect the way they play. Considering the acoustics of the room and playing accordingly to achieve the perfect sound are just few of those addressed.

“We are preparing on the stage so that we get the right sound,” Dawn Bell, senior, said. “I think we’re definitely practicing really hard.”

The anticipated outcome of the concert has gotten a few mixed emotions from those participating, but that doesn’t prevent the band from believing in their abilities to play to their highest potential

“I am anxious and excited about their performance,” Gittle said. “I’m sure it will be great.”

The expectations of the show can only be imagined by the band members right now, as they aren’t quite sure what to suppose for the future, though they don’t fear what will come.

“I hope a lot of people show up and really like it,” Bell said. “We’ve been working for a really long time on the pieces that we’re preparing.”

Being a part of the band has allowed for the people involved to become closer as a group and has given them countless opportunities to make the best of friendships.

“Well, just in general, I have more friends who are upperclassmen because throughout band we can just kind of connect,” Mizuki Ansano, sophomore, said. “We can just talk about the things we like because we do band because we like it.”

The connections the band has made with each other have greatly assisted them in performing and perfecting their sound as well as helping them create unique music for themselves.

“I’d say we’re all a family,” Bell said. “I think that’s really cool.”