The music department has the pleasure of acknowledging the musically involved students by putting on a concert for all elementary, junior high and high school musicians, March 18.

The performance will begin at 7 p.m. and will be held in the G. L. Johnson chapel on the Peoples Church campus. Each separate music section will have the opportunity to present the given music.

Michael Odgon, Musica Director of both high school jazz and concert band, choir and ensemble, created this concert as a way to “show off” the skills the music department has been able to develop this year.

“There are three reasons for why we are putting on this concert tonight,” Ogdon said. “One, to show off our festival materials for all the parents who sent their kids to the festival and who never really heard us. Two, to show off all the hard work and being able to come home with wins. And three, to brag a little about what our program is doing and to have a broad spectrum of bands and choirs and to have people come up from elementary school. We are able to showcase the elementary, the junior high, and the high school as a full spectrum of musical opportunity.”

After recently coming back from the Heritage trip over the weekend, Ogdon will proudly display the awards and trophies that different parts of the music section were able to receive. Following the long year of performances, Odgon is grateful for the opportunity that both he and the students had.

“The music department got the best award, which is amazing to me, and I?m glad for it,” Ogdon said. “I think we worked hard to get there. I don?t know how to compare it to other choirs because we didn?t get to hear all the competing music groups on that Saturday when we performed, but according to the scores we did very well.”

Junior Bobby Christopher awaits the performance tonight so that the choir will be able to show off what they accomplished and achieved in the skills that they were able to attain throughout the year.

“Heritage was exhausting, especially having spent seven hours at Sea World and then having another performance that night,” Christopher said. “I’m excited because as a full choir we have learned a lot of material and I’m looking forward to performing the music tonight.”

Conductor Susan Ainley believes that this concert will be beneficial for her junior high girls choir. Ainley not only orchestrates the junior high choir but also the elementary choir as well.

“My wish tonight is that the junior high girls will be able to translate to the audience the passion of music and not be nervous,” Ainley said. “I hope that this concert will be a lot of fun for them, so that tomorrow when we all go to the adjudication at St. Therese Church all of the nerves will be gone and that they love what they do.”

Eighth grader and soloist Hannah Nale is anticipating the performance with her all girls choir group. Having the joy to sing, Nale already plans on joining the high schools choir.

“I’m very excited to do my solos tonight, but I am also kind of nervous,” Nale said. “I know it will be fun because all the choirs in the music department get to hear each other sing and I get to see what I want to do next year in the high school choir.”

For more news, read the March 12 article, BRIEF: Music department to participate in Heritage Festival.