Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony attend Sonoma Music Festival

Kayla Samimi

Copy Editor

The Mira Costa Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble traveled to Sonoma and San Francisco from March 7-9 to perform at the Sonoma Music Festival which took place at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, California.

The Wind Symphony performed “Symphony No. 3” by Vittorio Giannini and “Dance of the Jesters” by P.I. Tchaikovsky. The Wind Ensemble performed the pieces “Give Us This Day” by Maslanka and “Snow Caps” by Richard Saucedo.

“I think we put in a lot of effort and time into the difficult pieces that we played and that really reflected well on our performance,” junior Emma Mirhashemi said. “It was a lot of fun and interesting to be introduced to new styles and different school’s perspectives on music. We saw a lot of different bands with extremely varying music types and overall, it was a great trip from which I gained a lot of experience and memories.”

The band rehearsed their pieces for months before the festival. The Wind Ensemble’s festival was on March 7 and the Wind Symphony’s Festival was on March 9. According to Band President and senior Emily Angstreich, band members were allowed to explore the city of San Francisco in between the rehearsal and performance as long as they were in groups.

Several judges were present at the festival and listened to the bands perform before giving them feedback, which included constructive criticism. However, according to Angstreich, the Mira Costa Bands did not receive any award for their performance.

“Overall, the bands played with passion and technical expertise,” Angstreich said. “While our performances weren’t perfect, everyone gave it their all and we did a good job.”

This was the department’s major traveling trip of the school year. The band took a bus to the festival and stayed in a hotel overnight. In order to prepare for the festival, the two bands  have practiced every day since February.

“Everyone was excited to be able to travel for a short period of time and perform music,” Mirhashemi said. “It really was a group effort and everyone performed well.”

The Costa Band and Orchestra Departments will host their third annual Evening of Eclectic Ensembles today in the small theatre. At the event, various groups and soloists will perform for audience members. Tickets for the event will cost $10 and all proceeds will go toward funding future trips for the Mira Costa Music Departments.

“Everyone has been working very hard to prepare for the event, playing a wide range of pieces that showcases an array of skills,” Angstreich said. “We are excited to perform for the community and also raise money for our department.”