Compiled by: Kimi danaei/ Theme editor, Karli Wallace/ Executive Theme Editor, Doug Speicher /Photo Manager, Rosy Travis/ Illustrator, Tess Fortier/Illustrator
Costa students from Choir, Orchestra and Band formed serenading groups on Wednesday for their annual tradition of performing Valgrams for students and staff on campus from first through sixth period.
The four Valgram groups consist of Coterie, the women’s a capella group from Choir; the Chamber Orchestra; Muscle, the men’s a capella group from Choir; and SaxPack, a group of saxophone players from Band and Jazz Band. The tradition of Valgrams began in the early 1990’s for the same purpose of spreading love and creating a fun celebration for Valentine’s Day on campus. A Valgram from any of the four groups costs $5.
“Performing Valgrams is a big part of all the music programs on the Costa campus,” Muscle member and junior Brennan Morgan said. “ Even though we’re basically getting paid to miss class, it’s better knowing that we’re skipping class together while performing Valgrams.”
Coterie consists of nine female students including co-president seniors Emma King and Ella Dabney. As presidents, King and Dabney’s duties include setting up schedules, running rehearsals and overlooking Coterie’s progression, King said. This year, the group received over 60 requests for Valgrams and performed love songs such as “Electric Love,” by BØRNS; “If I Ain’t Got You,” by Alicia Keys; and “Since U Been Gone,” by Kelly Clarkson.
“I believe that Valgrams became an annual event for the purpose of showcasing extracurricular music programs at Mira Costa and creating an entertaining day for all students to enjoy,” King said. “This year was different from the past because we gave a substantial amount of energy into our performances to make it the most memorable for recipients.”
Coterie began preparing for the event at the start of the semester. The group created a list of songs that relate to the theme of Valentine’s Day and voted on four to offer students, according to King. Since a few pieces required soloists, auditions were selected and decided soloists based on harmony and balance. The Choir then began learning the songs and practicing every week to perfect and polish them, according to Dabney.
“There’s a lot of preparation and scheduling that goes into just one day of performances on Emma and my part,” Dabney said. “Since I’ve been a part of it for so long, it feels like my senior year wouldn’t be the same without performing and getting ready for Valgrams.”
Costa’s Chamber Orchestra performed pieces such as “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You,” by Twenty One Pilots; “Bésame Mucho,” by Andrea Bocelli; and “Marry You,” by Bruno Mars, for this year’s Valgrams event. Chamber Orchestra received the pieces four weeks in advance and worked to memorize and perfect their sound by practicing individually and later in groups. Chamber Orchestra is made up of about 17 students, including Orchestra president and senior Rachel Clinton. As president, Clinton is in charge of running Orchestra meetings, setting up bonding events and fundraisers and communicating upcoming deadlines with Orchestra, she said.
“I think Valgrams is a great way for Orchestra students to be more engaged on campus,” Clinton said. “I’m looking forward to playing in different classes around campus and spreading the Valentine’s Day spirit.”
The group typically receives about 70 requests every year. The money raised from this event went to Costa’s Orchestra program to pay for funds such as music scores, maintenance of instruments and various events, according to Chamber Orchestra student and sophomore Maddy Oh.
“The Valgrams event is a fun event that makes people feel loved and happy whether it is received by a special someone or just a friend,” Oh said. “It’s also fun for us musicians because we get to miss school all day to play our instruments for fellow peers.”
Student-led Valgram group SaxPack includes seniors Tony Arcos, Dexter Brown, Liam Coggon and junior Olin Meyer. This year, they played “Careless Whisper,” by George Michael; “All You Need is Love,” by the Beatles; “Love On Top,” by Beyonce; “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” by Elton John; and “One Love,” by Bob Marley, the last of which was arranged by Arcos for Valgrams. SaxPack had 13 performances per class period and also had special performances during Office Hours and lunch.
“Valgrams is a really unique way to show off our skills as musicians, but it’s also a really unique tradition on campus as well,” Meyer said. “Performing Valgrams for six periods with at least 10 performances each period is always super long and tiring, but we get to spend a whole day doing something we love.”
According to Arcos, SaxPack as a group overall has been a 15 year- long-standing tradition that is independent of Costa’s bands. Aside from performing on campus, SaxPack performs independently at various restaurants and events alongside their Valgram performances.
“SaxPack has basically just been based on merit and who the best saxophone players were on campus in the last couple of years, but this year it’s completely different because we’re all super close and good friends,” Brown said. “It’s one thing when you’re playing with guys who are just as good as you are, versus when you’re playing with people who are just as good as you, and they’re some of your best friends.”
Muscle is run through Costa’s Choir programs and Choir director Michael Hayden. It includes seniors and co-presidents Nate Peel and Jake Blumely, as well as seniors Cole Konis, Austin Wills, Christos Dalis and juniors Brennan Morgan, Jack Whitney, and Ryan Dugdale. This year they performed “My Girl,” by the Temptations: “Life Could Be a Dream, (Sh-Boom),” by the Chords; and “All of Me,” by John Legend. During “My Girl,” Muscle sang “My Guy” if they were performing to a male student, and if the person had a two-syllable name, then they would sing their name in place of “My Girl.”
“The most enjoyable part of performing Valgrams is getting to slightly embarrass people in the middle of class because someone cares about them,” Dalis said. “It’s also just fun being able to literally sing from the heart with other tenors and bases. We all love music, and Valgrams is just one way for us to show our unique appreciation for it.”
According to Peel, Muscle began auditions for the group in October of 2019. After candidates sang a few scales, those auditioning would practice the songs being performed, choose one, and then perform with the pre-existing members of Muscle in front of Hayden.
“When we perform Valgrams, I hope that it gives people a little bit of a mental break from the stress and anxieties of being a high schooler on a day-to-day basis,” Wills said. “If we sing enough love songs throughout the day, even if it’s not actually Valentine’s Day, people deserve to feel loved and to be shown that they are loved.”
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