“No one has seen the iPad right?” music teacher Mr. Nick Pignataro asked with a dazed expression when he noticed his iPad was not on the stand at the start of the band and orchestra concert on the evening of March 19. “Could anyone in orch [orchestra] look around the band room for my iPad?”
Students in the symphonic band began looking around, seeing if the iPad might magically appear onstage.
The band and orchestra concert began in an unexpected way when Pignataro forgot his iPad loaded with the concert’s music at his desk in the band room.
Nonetheless, the concert went on. Student teacher Ms. Samantha MacFarlane found the iPad and delivered it to the stage after the first song.
“This is why you have student teachers,” Pignataro said to the audience, evoking some chuckles.
According to the concert program, the winter instrumental concert’s theme was “Beginnings, Middles, and Ends” and highlighted the meaningfulness of the mundane. Finding inspiration from various movies and music pieces, Pignataro was able to include diverse songs and composers highlighting this theme.
“I’ve tried to find music that had clear beginnings, middles and ends, different sections, because I’ve just been thinking about it a lot, and I just wanted the music to represent our daily lives a little bit,” he said.
The orchestra played the iconic Star Wars theme song “Themes from Star Wars: Episode II arr. Brubaker” by Williams. In his director notes, Pignataro mentioned the movies when he discussed the importance of the mundane.
“I can’t remember Anakin standing in line to register his speeder at the Tatooine Department of Speeders nor Yoda signing off on expense reports for the other Jedi to be reimbursed for their travel expenses,” he wrote. “I imagine Boba Fett was taking some sort of classes while living in Kamino and he would have had to submit assignments on something like Star Wars Schoology, yet that doesn’t happen in the movie.”
MacFarlane helped lead the symphony band’s performance of “Charm” by Puts and the wind ensemble’s performance of “Caribana After Party” by Thomas, according to the program.
The concert also featured a violin solo, played by senior Wendy Chen. Chen noted her initial nervousness since it was her first time performing a concert solo.
“I didn’t feel that confident with my playing, but I practiced a lot before the concert and I think I really enjoyed playing it and it was really sweet seeing my friends there,” Chen said.
Junior Eli Surkis, who plays the euphonium in symphonic band and wind ensemble and trombone in the orchestra, enjoyed performing with other musicians and classmates.
“It’s always fun. You get to play with people and usually, you never play with that many people during practices. Everyone’s at clubs and stuff. So, it’s nice to be with so many people and sound full,” Surkis said.
Surkis noticed an improvement in their concert performance since the orchestral and choral concert in December.
“I think it was less chaotic than our last concert. I’m not getting into that. The audience was definitely having a good time,” he said.
Pignataro is proud of all of the ensembles for playing at the level he expected and working with dedication during rehearsals.
“They were able to sound good and look good and look confident,” Pignataro said. “There were plenty of mistakes that were made on the stage and they recovered from every single mistake, I think, with very little audience awareness.”
According to Pignataro, the next band and orchestra concert on May 14 will encompass a theme connected to the stage and screens, like in famous concert halls, Broadway, and movies.
For Chen, May’s concert will be her last at Haven, and she hopes to make the most of the experience with her loved ones.
“I think since senior year, I’ve been able to enjoy it more because I don’t really feel that much pressure anymore, so it’s just really nice just being able to go there, have fun with my friends, and see people I love,” Chen said.
