Music filled the air on December 11 as band and chorus students from Patrick M. Villano School came together for the annual Holiday Concert. This year, it was called Snowstorm. It was the first concert on the Emerson Junior-Senior High School stage for Adalynn Sayers, a fourth grader.
“I love being in band. I play the clarinet, and I also do chorus. This is my first year playing an instrument. My first Holiday Concert was very exciting,” Sayers said.
Joseph Gibbs, band director, leads students who play instruments in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. He works with musicians in small groups before school begins, and he has lessons during the day for specific instruments.
“The students and I have worked hard since September, and all of our hard work paid off,” Gibbs said. “Although handling three bands does have its challenges, there are so many students who are involved in band, which I love!”
Gibbs organized his students into Beginner, Concert, and Jazz bands.
“I like being in band because it’s really fun and you get to express your talents,” Brielle Blanken explained.
It’s the second year of playing the trumpet for the fifth-grader, and she also sings in the chorus led by music teacher Rayna Fox.
“I like being in chorus because I like to sing,” Blanken said. “I loved the concert because I got to sing and play my instrument. Also, it’s very fun being on stage and showing my talent to the whole crowd.”
Grace Nejme plays the flute and sometimes the piccolo, a mini flute.
“It was very exciting playing three new songs,” Grace said. “Band is really fun. When I look back at the music I did in 4th grade, I see how much I have grown with my music at Villano.”
Gibbs and Fox are open to new members for both band and fifth and sixth grade chorus. Interested students or families can email them directly.
