It was hot in the gymnasium. Preconcert gathering was short lived, but very touching with Eric’s devotion on quantum uncertainty. The gym was packed from front to back with students sitting from front to back, teachers maneuvering through the organized throng had difficulty from the density of the audience.

The Utsnomyia band was first in our concert and played their hearts out. In every song they played was an intense energy woven through each song, though it was shadowed by reservation. Every song just kept getting better and better. First was a more traditional concert band, followed by a pepper version. Third was the fastest Spain as I can recall ever hearing that was right.

The 4th piece was like pep band all over with power brass and marching percussion. The song evolved into a rock esq concert with the intensity and energy. Then even faster phantom of the opera and two dancing teachers that joined in at the very end of the final song. By the end of the concert I was fired up, just like the closer of a rock concert, and they were only the first of 3 bands today.

The Wind Ensemble had a hard act to follow up with differing musical purposes and cultural intentions with our pieces. The students were very receptive of our selections and in awe of Dr. Wachmann, Garrett and the clarinet section on their solo pieces.

What I think had the greatest impact on the school was the joint concert. It’s one thing for an unknown ensemble to come in and give a concert, it is an entirely different story when they sit side by side with students and perform with them. This had a more lasting impact on the Sakuskin students than other performance options we could have done. Takaragima brought back the same rock concert energy from earlier into the students and pumped up us beleaguered college students for Stars and Stripes Forever. I feel our traditional closing songs had some small impact on our high school ensemble friends as it is a very unique opportunity for a non-ensemble member to be a part of form the performers perspective. While it did not heighten the songs for me, I am very happy to have shared an important tradition on with them as they are sharing their homes with us and their traditions.