Weeks ago, the Edmonds School District (ESD) music program held their annual quad concerts, bringing elementary, middle and high school students together to rehearse and perform.
The school district, divided into the northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast quadrants, held one concert for each section. Each provided a chance for the bands, orchestras and choirs from all different age ranges to connect and perform together.
Many students voiced that they enjoyed playing with younger students and inspiring them to continue in music. The concerts carried a very laid-back vibe, meant to be more enjoyable than stressful.
“The quad concert rehearsal experience was really enjoyable; it was a relaxing and fun time for bonding with classmates and the younger musical kids,” Job Astudillo, a sophomore in chamber orchestra, said. “My favorite part was dressing up as a theme related to our music pieces. It made it into a more silly and fun experience rather than a serious one.”
The wholesome and funny environment during the rehearsal and the concert helped everybody loosen up and truly unite through music. “My favorite part about it would probably be me doing my solo in front of all the kids,” Ethan Baquiring, a sophomore in chamber choir, said.
Through his solo, kids were inspired to leave their comfort shells and put themselves in the spotlight.
“After we were all done, I heard from one of my choirmates that others want to be a soloist when they get older. So yeah, I guess it just feels nice to inspire others,” he said.
Others especially enjoyed the kids’ enthusiasm, and the help from all the teachers assisting them.
“They were so cute. It was so much fun, too, and the other choir teachers were really nice and really good at their job. They were very enthusiastic, so it was really fun trying to get them to sing,” sophomore Kira Paulsene said.
The skill level of the younger students across the different music groups was also impressive.
“It was pretty good, we were playing simple music so we could play with the younger bands. They did a pretty good job of keeping up,” senior Braeden Valdivia, a member of the jazz band, said. “We split up the students to sit in between us high school students, so we were able to help them out, which was pretty cool.”
For the band performance, each Terrace student was surrounded by about three of the younger students, which gave them a chance to familiarize themselves with them and their interests before playing.
“We got to know them and acted like big buddies for them. Because the middle schoolers arrived first, we got to know them a little bit; find out where they were planning to go to high school, give them advice and talk about music,” sophomore jazz band member Abby Setala said. “Then, when the sixth graders came, the middle schoolers and us all welcomed them in. Making sure every younger person had a couple buddies that they got to know was really effective, and a lot of the kids I interacted with seemed to be having a great time.”
The quad concerts ended up being a huge success, going relatively smoothly and being a learning opportunity for both the younger and older musicians.
For younger kids, intimidation could be expected in an environment like that.
But with the welcoming environment created by the Terrace music community, they learned skills from our musicians and got a chance to bond with them, many being inspired to continue pursuing music.
