By Annie Phun

Sports Editor

On May 23-24, Gabrielino’s choir, band, and orchestra hosted their annual spring concerts in the Goodson Theatre.

The Choir Concert was announced by choir director David Pitts while instrumental music teacher Melissa Romero spoke for orchestra and band. Choir sang songs arranged by artists such as Russell Robinson and Olga Gjello and orchestra and band filled the room with music created by composers such as Alan Lee Silva and Steve Hodges.

Encouraged to invite family and friends, students often describe this event as a culmination of a year’s worth of hard work. Performers remain composed in front of their audience, but the journey to a great performance included many obstacles.

“Choir is arranged into four groups that each learn about three to five choral songs,” explained junior Elisa Pitts. “Some [are] in different languages and styles, so it took us about three months of gradual practice to learn everything.”

Similarly, orchestra and band had struggles of their own. Due to the lack of every instrument in each class, students learn pieces in parts and on their own, practicing merely six hours in total with an entire group before they must perform at the Spring Concert.

Despite the challenges, choir, band, and orchestra students managed to memorialize the event with specialized performances.

Choir shocked the audience when they appeared on the second floor of the theatre and sung in the dark. During intermission, members randomly broke out into song to entertain crowds in the lobby.

For orchestra, this was the first time students were allowed to conduct pieces of their choice. Turning the music over to them, Romero worked with seniors Ryan Chang, Reisandy Lamdjani, Jessi Pham, and David Zacarias to orchestrate four performances.

“Everyone is always afraid of making mistakes, but we have all sacrificed a lot to put on this concert,” stated Lamdjani. “The seniors left the stage knowing that we left a great legacy for the returning and incoming musicians.”

This showcase was the last time that the seniors will ever grace the stage as part of Gabrielino’s music department. Each one received a shoutout before their first performance.

“It makes me so proud to see the musicians that each student was and witness how far they’ve come since they joined the program,” expressed Romero. “It’s a great way to end the year.”