Vocal Band starts their year with a bang!
On October 14, 2019, Vocal Band held their first performance of the year. The audience gathered excitedly in the newly renovated lobby area to watch not only one but four performances. For weeks Mrs. Jeannie Hooi and the vocal band students prepared for this performance—and they finally had the chance to show off their skills.
Especially for the new additions to the band, Vocal Band is always a great chance for students to get to know peers from different grade levels. Irene Chen (9B), a freshman in her first year of vocal band, said “It’s actually much more fun than I thought it would be, since what I had in mind was a lot more serious than it actually is. It’s a great course to take for those who just want to chill and enjoy music in general. [It’s] so much more fun than study hall!” Chris Jang (9A) added on to this, and said “I feel pretty satisfied for choosing the class because I find all the teaching and the activities pretty fun and enjoyable.”
Students wait eagerly as Ms. Jeannie announces the first set of performers Photo courtesy of Samuela Ma’u (9B)
That being said, even though vocal band is a class where students can take a break from academics, it’s so much more than just that. Every vocal band class consists of passion-driven students who constantly work with their fellow classmates to discuss ways of improvisation, and how to make the best out of everything.
Carol Park (11B) mentioned, “For every song that we practice, we find the best way to incorporate the talents of all the members, as well as learn from the works of one another to improve as musicians as well as performers.”
However, some students also faced challenges in the class. Sally Park (9C) said in a recent interview, “Some challenges are that I don’t have much confidence in singing as a main vocalist, and I want to try other instruments and learn, but again, I’m afraid I might not be good. Also, singing in front of others is a very big challenge for me.” Irene, on the other hand, remarked that it was still early in the year so there has not been that much pressure. She continued by stating, “The only challenging part may just be learning how to play a new song under a short amount of time.”
Apart from the difficulties that students face, Vocal Band is still an exciting course for both the performers and the audience. Irene commented that her favourite part of vocal band is “just being able to relax and have fun with others who love music as well.” Carol added on to this and stated, “We work on vocal band projects as units and facing and combating problems altogether and seeing progress as a group is what I really like about vocal band.”
From expressing your passion for music to acquiring new music skills, vocal band is a wonderful class that students should consider taking if they are interested in working with passionate musicians, pursuing music, or simply for the fun of it!
Featured Image — Sally Park (9C), Sara Tee (9C), Chris Jang (9A), Timothy Zhou (GAP 12) perform “Let It Be” by The Beatles Courtesy of Samuela Ma’u (9B)
by Sara Tee