Cara Martinez
Staff Writer
The Mira Costa Band held its annual Pops Concert which included appearances from the Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony and Jazz 1 in the auditorium on May 31.
The Pop’s concert showcased the culmination of concert curriculum. They performed a total of 10 popular songs, which included “James Bond,” “Star Wars The Force Awakens,” and “I Wish.”
“We started off in the winter with some recognizable melodies, but not necessarily arrangements people are familiar with,” Mira Costa Band Director Joel Carlson said. “In the Pops concert we played songs that are so popular, everybody knew the music.”
Click here to view photos from the Mira Costa Pops Concert.
Band students practiced their pieces for a month in a half in advance. The preparation process included researching how the music was supposed to be played and what the composer intended the piece to sound like. The band also focused on how the music augmented the visual used in various movies, according to Carlson.
“It went beyond just getting the right notes and rhythms,” Carlson said. “It was just really creating a fun happy, fun, joyous environment. This was all about giving the audience an amazing experience and I really hoped the students enjoyed playing.”
The day before the concert, students participated in a dress rehearsal where they focused on the logistics such as getting off stage smoothly and transitioning in between pieces. In addition, the band focused on the various melodies and sound quality.
“This concert has been the most full out of all of the concerts we have done every year and we always get a great audience,” Costa Senior Adrian Yu said. “I feel this is the concert that we have gotten the most appreciation.”
Click here to visit the Mira Costa Band Website:
There was a total of 10 soloists in the concert. Senior soloist Ellen Hadley performed the piece, “Spirited Away” that resembled a lullaby. She focused on intonation and expressive playing.
“I think the whole piece went well for the band because we were well balanced,” Hadley said. “We hit all of the notes and rhythms.”
According to Carlson, he will continue the same the preparation process for next year which was taking students request for the pieces being performed.
Click here to buy music from every Mira Costa Band Performance this year
“The pop’s concert was a roaring success,” Carlson said. “I think everybody’s dedication to preparing their parts made this so successful. It came out really wonderfully and all the preparation really paid off.”
Leave a Reply