By Katie Volk
Staff Writer
Costa held its annual Eclectic Ensembles event on March 11 in the small theater to feature performances from students in the Mira Costa orchestras and bands.
Eclectic Ensembles included a diverse group of performances from various groups of performers playing multiple instruments. Instruments such as piano, drum, saxophones, flute, violin, and others were seen being performed in songs such as “New Super Mario Bros. Wii Medley,” and vocals could be heard during the final piece of the night, music from “La La Land.”
“They arranged it specifically for a string orchestra, and it really sounded great,” said junior Katherine Mueller. “We played a medley of music from ‘La La Land,’ and I found it super cool since I got to sing for the performance as opposed to just playing the viola.”
The event began with “Fly Me to The Moon,” performed by Logan Elliott, Max Hughes, Aidan Medrano, Nate Sagadevan, Max Simpson, Brody Smith, Zach Smith, Owen Thomas, Chris Yanez, and Andrew Yang. Throughout the first act, seven more pieces were played that ranged from classical to pop.
“Groups can play a wide variety of music that they wouldn’t normally be exposed to during their standard class repertoire,” said senior violinist and conductor Xavier Dargan. “Groups used this opportunity to explore new genres, arrange their own music, and choose the pieces that really resonate with them.”
The planning of the “Eclectic Ensembles” began earlier in the year, and auditions were held from Feb. 28-March 4. A pre-dinner was organized as well as a raffle with multiple prizes, so planning this event under time constraints was a challenge, according to Mueller.
“This year we weren’t given as much time to prepare,” said Mueller, “Regardless, everything turned out super well, and all the groups involved were able to hustle and make the night a success.”
The Eclectic Ensembles is not only for the audience, but also for the students performing in the event. Many of the student-musicians are extremely passionate about creating music, and not only does the Eclectic Ensembles provide them with an opportunity to perform with their friends, but also to organize such a large event, according to Mueller.
“It gives musicians at Costa a really good creative outlet and a chance to organize something they’re passionate about,” said Mueller.
As for the students performing, some cohorts started practicing in the beginning of March, and other groups have been practicing for months. Most of the performers didn’t have much time to prepare due to the initial lack of clarity surrounding the event’s details.
“A lot of us didn’t know if the event was going to happen or not just because of the pandemic,” said Mueller, “Most people didn’t have a ton of time to practice once it got announced.”
The audience as well as the performers were very enthusiastic about being there and being able to experience the music, according to Mueller. Due to such a large turnout for this year’s Eclectic Ensembles, high expectations are already formed for next year’s event.
“I hope that by then we’ll have an even bigger turnout and even more people will want to participate in the show,” said Mueller.
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