Band is continuing to make music even though their concert season was cut short due to the spread of COVID-19 as associate band director Zack Anderson is helping to arrange a virtual concert. 

“Symphonic Winds band class is meeting together each day in sections,” associate band director Zachary Anderson said via email. “We will be performing pieces that were supposed to be performed for our UIL evaluation. Playing and practicing by yourself doesn’t tell the full story. This performance gives students the opportunity to piece their individual parts together while we are away and still see their work together when joined together.”

Each student will record themselves playing their individual part and all the videos will be compiled into a singular piece in place of the concert- to simulate a live concert. This is the same format as Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir where Whitacre created a choir from videos of singers around the world.

“Since this plan revolves around independent practice, I’m sure that it will help with developing more effective practice habits,” English horn/oboe/saxophonist, sophomore Krista Caparas said via text. “We won’t be relying on the cooperation of other musicians in order to make individual progress during a band class period, so I can make the most out of practice time by focusing on my specific weaknesses to work on. I feel as if this would be a great time for members to focus on our own specific weaknesses, since we now have the freedom to practice at our own pace and according to our individual needs.”

For clarinettist, junior Alexandra Stiles, the suspension of UIL is a missed opportunity to show off time and effort put into the pieces. 

“I’m kind of disappointed, because our UIL has been suspended for the time being and I’m not sure that it’s going to happen at all,” Stiles said via text. “We’ve just worked really hard with the music for the past few months that I was looking forward to seeing the final outcome. I think [a virtual concert] is creative [with] what they’re trying to do with it, but with factors like lagging and sound quality I’m not sure how successful it’ll turn out to be. [Anticipating another performance] kind of forces me to keep up with my music and practice even though we don’t really have full out band rehearsals anymore.”