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A Very Joyful Winter Rally Performance

  • December 16, 2020

Aubrey Costa

With the Winter Rally coming up on December 16th, the Gahr Marching Gladiators have put together a virtual performance of a piece entitled 'Joyful, Joyful,' a twist on the classic work of Ludwig Van Beethoven's, 'Ode to Joy.' Not only that, 'Joyful, Joyful' came out this year, and Gahr band is one of the first high schools ever to play it! 

 

Although Band has performed many in-person concerts, this is one of their first-ever winter virtual performances. Working on a virtual performance is different than the usual in-person one, as there are new challenges they must overcome. 

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Sydney Ortega, a clarinet player and drum major in the Gahr band, explains the virtual concert's preparation process. "There are a number of steps that each band member has to take individually to prepare for a performance. For me, I conducted and played. Since I am one of the conductors, I had to practice my conducting outside of rehearsals. During rehearsals, however, I practiced my clarinet with the rest of the Band, and I submitted videos weekly." 

Practicing in the band room had been an everyday task, but putting the final performance together was a new experience for everyone. "Band is somewhere where we communicate and express ourselves through our music. For our part as a whole, it was an obstacle for us to play virtually. We don't get to hear the other instruments as we would in a normal band setting. We've spent so much time practicing and preparing for this piece that it's something everyone in the Band should be proud of."

 

When students submitted their final videos to Mr. Loney, shaping the final product was a-go! Drum major and clarinet player Ginna Rocha tells us about the editing process. "Mr. Loney takes everyone's video and separates the audio and video. He crops each one and fits the videos in a collage. Once the visual is synched, he adds all the audio and makes sure everyone is lined up. It's a lot of work, but it's to ensure we have a good performance. Seeing the final product and how we all can make a full ensemble piece from our own homes is convenient." 

 

From preparation to delivery, Band created a complete virtual concert performance that is ready to share with friends and family! Want to see the performance of 'Joyful, Joyful?' Check it out at the Gahr Winter Rally on December 16th in your homeroom google classroom and on the school website!

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