Continuing to Prepare for a Postponed Concert
Yearly Benefit Concert and fundraiser for the music program has been delayed indefinitely by COVID-19
By Riley Fink
Yearly Benefit Concert and fundraiser for the music program has been delayed indefinitely by COVID-19
By Riley Fink
Despite an initial delay due to health concerns caused by COVID-19 pandemic, Pioneer’s musicians are excited to perform in the music program’s yearly benefit concert. The concert includes the entire department, with every student in Jazz Band, Chamber Orchestra, and Wind Ensemble all playing in at least one song. Online tickets are currently sold out, but they will be sold at the door for $25 each, whenever the concert occurs.
The profits from ticket sales will all go back to Pioneer’s music program, providing all of the classes with additional resources, while also putting on a show to entertain fellow students and their families. Nathan Shturm, 11, explains the department’s plans for the additional revenue.
“It’s benefiting the music program and subsidiaries of the music program,” said Shturm. “The funds will go towards preparing instruments, getting new music for every music class, and expanding and reaching out to other places to do concerts at.”
Each benefit concert has a theme, with this year’s theme being game music. This includes both video game songs and sports songs like “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” Each song was selected based on each section’s strengths, like with Wind Ensemble playing Final Fantasy VII’s “One Winged Angel” — a song that uses a lot of brass and woodwinds throughout. Ethan Fossum, 11, is excited about several of the song choices.
“Jazz Band is doing a lot of Cuphead songs,” Fossum said. “I think it’s a good fit. I think we’re playing the pieces pretty well and we’ve had a lot of rehearsal and I think it’ll turn out really well. I’ve been working really hard on my swing groove, so I’m excited to play ‘Carnival Kerfuffle.’”
The concert was delayed from its original March 7 date due to the district bans on unnecessary adults on campus as well as banning any meetings of 250 people or more. Originally the ban was only up to March 20, but due to school closure, the concert will be held on April 11 at earliest, with a definitive date is still up in the air. Regardless, the program is hopeful to reschedule the performance as soon as possible and continues to rehearse. Despite this roadblock, students in each section of the music department are still hard at work, practicing for their show. Melek Blili, 10, explains how the musicians have been preparing in spite of the delay.
“The district was worried about (COVID-19) and they didn’t want to have a big gathering of people at the concert, so now it’s been delayed,” said Blili. “We’ve just been running through everything and polishing things up, like making sure all our solos are good.”
With the abundance of extra time they’ve been given from the district ban, all of Pioneer’s musicians have been hard at work gearing up for the stage. Shturm goes into detail about his own practice routines.
"I have prepared for this concert by constant practice, every single day,” said Shturm, “I need to make sure my part of each piece is as close to perfect as possible."
The profits from ticket sales will all go back to Pioneer’s music program, providing all of the classes with additional resources, while also putting on a show to entertain fellow students and their families. Nathan Shturm, 11, explains the department’s plans for the additional revenue.
“It’s benefiting the music program and subsidiaries of the music program,” said Shturm. “The funds will go towards preparing instruments, getting new music for every music class, and expanding and reaching out to other places to do concerts at.”
Each benefit concert has a theme, with this year’s theme being game music. This includes both video game songs and sports songs like “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” Each song was selected based on each section’s strengths, like with Wind Ensemble playing Final Fantasy VII’s “One Winged Angel” — a song that uses a lot of brass and woodwinds throughout. Ethan Fossum, 11, is excited about several of the song choices.
“Jazz Band is doing a lot of Cuphead songs,” Fossum said. “I think it’s a good fit. I think we’re playing the pieces pretty well and we’ve had a lot of rehearsal and I think it’ll turn out really well. I’ve been working really hard on my swing groove, so I’m excited to play ‘Carnival Kerfuffle.’”
The concert was delayed from its original March 7 date due to the district bans on unnecessary adults on campus as well as banning any meetings of 250 people or more. Originally the ban was only up to March 20, but due to school closure, the concert will be held on April 11 at earliest, with a definitive date is still up in the air. Regardless, the program is hopeful to reschedule the performance as soon as possible and continues to rehearse. Despite this roadblock, students in each section of the music department are still hard at work, practicing for their show. Melek Blili, 10, explains how the musicians have been preparing in spite of the delay.
“The district was worried about (COVID-19) and they didn’t want to have a big gathering of people at the concert, so now it’s been delayed,” said Blili. “We’ve just been running through everything and polishing things up, like making sure all our solos are good.”
With the abundance of extra time they’ve been given from the district ban, all of Pioneer’s musicians have been hard at work gearing up for the stage. Shturm goes into detail about his own practice routines.
"I have prepared for this concert by constant practice, every single day,” said Shturm, “I need to make sure my part of each piece is as close to perfect as possible."