Dutch Fork High School Winter Concert

The maestro and me: Pre-concert

The Dutch Fork High School bands held their Winter Concert on Tuesday evening. All I can say is WOW! It always amazes me to see Jon working with his concert bands. They are wonderful musicians who play beautifully and with intense emotion....I enjoy the concert setting because it is so different from the marching band arena and emphasizes that this is where they really learn to play music. Concert band is truly the focal point of music education.

This year he had a percussion ensemble made up of a mallet quartet to start....with the holiday selection of Jingle Bells. It was a great way to start the show as it really highlighted the work the percussion students have been studying. The concert and symphonic bands were combined and you could see the improvement in their playing skills. These are the two younger bands, but you would have never known it listening to them play. Lastly, the wind ensemble played. Mostly made up of juniors and seniors, they played several hard pieces - one which included the Grade six "Suite No. 2 in F" by Holst. My favorite piece of the evening. It was incredible!

The turnout for the evening was impressive too. I am noticing more students that are coming to hear their friends play and I love this because its a wonderful cultural experience. Plus....it may get more young people interested in being a part of band. Also, my parents attended and I got to sit with them in the audience. It was a pleasure to share with them and it made me incredibly proud that my husband does something so special and makes such a difference in the lives of so many children!

CONGRATS TO JON AND THE STUDENTS ON ALL OF THEIR PERFORMANCES.....VERY WELL PLAYED!!!