Kaylyn Nguyen
The high school and middle school band directors take the stage for an applause.
HUSD held a two-day All District Music Festival, featuring middle school and high school choirs, orchestras and bands, from March 19 to March 20.
The festival took place in the HUSD Performing Arts Center from 6:00 p.m. on both nights, with the first night showcasing choirs and orchestras and the second night featuring bands.
HUSD VAPA coordinator Heather Figueroa said event planning had been in the works for a year, from designing the t-shirts, flyers, and organizing the music. She added that the recent district budget cuts had created issues like insufficient funding for students’ dinners, causing planners to search for a food donor.
Still, the festival proceeded with outstanding performances from Mt. Eden, Hayward, and Tennyson high schools, as well as Ochoa, Winton, King, Chavez, and Bret Harte middle schools.
“We only get to play with them once every year,” said Mt. Eden senior and percussionist Isis Valine. “So it’s nice to see how the other percussionists have grown and how the whole band gets bigger each year.”
Valine said her biggest concern was having to balance working on the All District Music Festival with Mt. Eden band’s tour music and the upcoming Lion King production music. Additionally, the performers only had one rehearsal as an entire group.
Tennyson junior and choir member Jesse Torres Portillo said his greatest struggle was maintaining professionalism.
“We come to strive and show the interest and effort we put into singing which can get hard in such a large group,” said Torres Portillo.
Pamela Palafox, a Hayward High senior and orchestra member, said she enjoyed working with the guest conductors.
“It was the first time the district had done it and it was nice to work with someone at a college level,” said Palafox.
Such guest conductors included CSU East Bay’s Music Department Chair Buddy James, San Jose State’s String Area Coordinator Dr. Catalina Barraza, and West Valley College’s Director of Instrumental Music & Jazz Studies Troy Davis for the choirs, orchestras, and bands, respectively.
“I hope to show and teach our audience that music is important in schools,” said HUSD VAPA coordinator Figueroa after the concert. “When districts support music in schools, our kids flourish, thrive, and succeed. We can do bigger and better things together when we’re centered in music and arts.