On May 1, the Music Department presented its annual Spring Concert, a 3.5 hour performance that encompassed all sections of the department from Jazz Band to Chamber Strings. The concert was presented by music teachers Kevin Heathwood, Mariko Sato Berger, and Christopher Lee, along with student teacher Ju Jin-Bornet from Queens College.
This year’s concert also marked the first time the Beginning Strings program, the beginner level strings class, performed at a concert. Freshman and member of Beginning Strings Neliza Nova said: “Honestly, for the most part, it was pretty nerve-wracking. I’ve never performed in front of an audience before. Still, with support from Ms. Jin and Mr. Lee, I got over it.” From band to chorus to strings, each section showcased musicians from their first year playing to seasoned players. Songs featured many classics, such as “Jupiter” from Gustav Holst’s The Planets performed by Symphonic Strings; “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” by McHugh & Fields, performed by Jazz Ensemble; “Die With A Smile” by Bruno Mars, performed by Dr. Sato’s piano class, and vocalists.
At one point in the evening, senior Anastasia Gonidelis performed “I Dreamed a Dream,” accompanied by Chamber Strings. Anastasia said the performance came together over months of planning. “Mr. Lee and I talked at the beginning of the spring semester about me performing with strings in the [concert], and talked about which songs would be good ideas for the concert. We settled on ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ because the music sounded great on strings and it is one of Mr. Lee’s favorite pieces,” she said.
As the concluding performance of the concert, the Symphony Orchestra collaborated with Chorus, performing “When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt, a blending of the two sections.. Mr. Lee said that he is “always looking to work together with other teachers.”
He also said, “I always need to find a balance between having students learn new things and what they can perform without it being too difficult.”
