On Thursday, Dec. 6, the first seventh-grade band concert of 2018 will be held at 7 p.m, in the RCMS gym. The concert is for Beginning Band, Cadet 1 and 2, and concert band. Admission is free; everyone is welcome to attend!

“’Feliz Navidad’ is the most popular piece because everyone plays in it and enjoys the beat of the song,” said Michelle P., 12, a member of the All-Stars team who did not want her last name used. Michelle is one of the seventh-grade percussionists.

The concert band will have a variety of instruments and approximately 200 instrumentalists performing. The students will have challenging music that will be performed under Mrs. Tiffany Hitz and Mr. William Titus, the two band instructors at RCMS. The dedicated students of RCMS have been preparing for this band concert all quarter. Along with most students, Michelle P.  also practices on bells and drum pad an hour a day.

“My favorite instrument I play is bass drum because it’s the heart of the concert,” she said.

The RCMS band students will be performing six different concert pieces: “Feliz Navidad,” “African Patapan,” “Shockwave,” “Circle The Wagons,” “American Spirit March” and “Tears of Arizona.”

“Feliz Navidad” is a traditional piece that many people love to sing and play. It is a holiday special and is a bright song. “African Patapan” is like a safari ride. It takes you on a journey through the rain forest of Africa.

However, “Shockwave” is an electric rush because it is a fast pace song. “Circle the Wagons” is another fascinating piece that starts off slow and speeds up as the students continue to play.

The piece “American Spirit March” describes a scene at an American marching band festival. It switches from loud to soft and surprises the audience with its loud crash symbols. Last but not least, “Tear of Arizona” is a song that is repetitive and interesting. Mrs. Hitz and the band students both believe this song is the hardest to perform.

“My favorite piece is ‘Shockwave’ because it’s easy but seems challenging. I also like that it’s repetitive and fun to play,” Michelle said.

Each piece explains a story that the students would like to share with the audience. All the songs have various beats and rhythms. The students enjoy performing each piece together in perfect harmony.

The students practice during their class, Panther time and at required after-school practices.

Some instruments the band will be playing are vibes, the flute, clarinet, trumpet, tuba, shakers, and bass drum.

“Everyone is doing great so far and I think we’re on the right track,” said a band student.