As much as The Weekly Talon tries to cover everything throughout the school year, a lot happens at Davie High. So we bring you “stories we missed,” a few events that happened towards the end of the school year that we ran out of time to cover.
At the end of May, band teacher Matthew Brusseau presented four pieces each from the Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble for the last concert of the 2023-2024 school year. Each band played four selections for the audience. The pieces consisted of Disney Classics, a motif of space and rocket launches, and tons of tambourine.
The concert opened up with Concert Band playing a medley from the soundtrack of Disney’s Encanto by Lin Manuel-Miranda, arranged by Paul Murtha. For the second song, the group played ”Renaissance Festival and Dances,” arranged by Bruce Pearson. The Concert Band wished to repeat this piece from their fall concert because when it was first performed, Brusseau and the students decided there was room for improvement. The highlight of this song was the tambourine. Students spoke about how difficult it was to get all of the rhythms to line up with one another. Samara McDaniel had multiple solos throughout her time on the stage and noted, “Now I look at it and question why I found it so difficult for me.”
Bayden Gioeli introduced the next song: “Southern Hymn” by Samuel Hazo. Gioeli said the song “reflects a serene landscape.” Clayton Cockerham introduced the song “Arabian Dances” by Brian Balmages. This song is meant to reflect the landscape of a busy market. This song had a lovely bongo and piccolo duet.
Senior Cole Fender, the band’s business manager, popped in to thank everyone for their donations and dedication to the band program before introducing the Symphonic Band. Sophomore AJ Imes introduced the first piece called “Rocketship!” which was composed by Kevin Day. “This piece brings us through the cosmos,” said Imes. This song featured a tambourine and lots of crescendos, almost as if it represented the trials and tribulations one will go through in their journey through time and space.
Sophomore Ava Gary introduced “Lightning Field” by John Mackey. “This song is a thrilling and memorable experience,” Gary stated. Sophomore Grady Philips and AJ Imes played instruments that sounded like wind and thunder, affectionately named “Thunder Tubes.” Imes played this instrument with a fork. Senior Mason Kuhnemann was spotted on the tambourine, which added to the experience of being in this constructed thunderstorm. This song built much suspense and was truly thrilling and memorable.
Cody East, a tuba player, introduced the Symphonic Suite from J.J. Abrams’ 2009 film Star Trek, which was written by Michael Giacchino and arranged by Jay Bocook. This piece served as a smooth and calming counterpoint to “Lightning Field.” Ariana Fletcher introduced “Ignition” by Todd Stalter. This song needed no help introducing itself with its strong start that made many individuals jump in their seats.
Grady Philips, a member of the Symphonic Band, said, “I love band because I get to build relationships and cooperate with other people more than in other classes, and because, well, music is fun.” Philips plays percussion, saying, “My favorite thing about percussion is the diversity of the instruments. Most band members are constrained to one instrument and maybe a variation of that instrument, but we have such a lovely selection to pick from.”
As the Wind Ensemble made their way to the stage, we were introduced to a core part of the music program, Edwin Owens. Owens presented his scholarship for the 19th year, teary-eyed and through sniffles, to Kadence Lynch. Brusseau presented the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award and the John Philip Sousa Award, the latter being special to Brusseau because he won it when he was in high school. The winner receives their name on the national registry, a desk figurine, and a lapel pin. The winner of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award was Robert McGrew, and the winner of the John Philip Sousa Award was Nate Robison. Bonnie Jo Taylor then got on stage and talked about what the band meant to her. She also presented Brusseau and Owens with a collage of the seniors in the band and a new desk chair as the senior gift from the class of 2024.
Once it all calmed down, Robert McGrew got up and introduced the first piece from the Wind Ensemble called “U.S. Field Artillery March,” composed by John Philip Sousa. This song is the theme of the U.S. Army. Jaden Smith introduced “Variations on a Korean Folk Song” by John Barnes Chance. The clarinet section opened this melancholic piece. Throughout the middle, it became upbeat again until a pause that led us back to the soft blue melancholic state that the beginning had. This song featured two soloists, Bonnie Jo Taylor and Bailey Schultze.
Zoey Campbell introduced the next song, “Catch Me If You Can” by John Williams, arranged by Jay Bocook. Campbell stated, “The song creates a memorable auditory experience.” As the song was introduced, the Weekly Talon’s own Matt Barker came onto the stage with a bass guitar, and Nate Robinson stood solo on an elevated platform and before he began playing the alto saxophone. The first thing heard was loud shushes made by the band members and snaps. This song built tons of suspense and it was like you could feel the people growing closer and further apart. The song was lively and fun.
The last song, called “Come Sunday,” had two movements: the first was “Testimony,” and the second was “Shout!” The audience was instructed to “go crazy” in the second movement. As the screen turned purple, Cole Fender stood and gave an extended solo on the saxophone. Flutes followed suit and then everyone came in boldly. The first movement ended with a huge crescendo and a big finish. Sean Lane, a junior percussionist, was then spotted with a tambourine, leading the audience into “Shout!” Claps broke out, and suddenly, so did the second movement. As Barker entered and began playing the piece’s walking bass line, shouts were heard all around the theater. Throughout the song, each section stood and gave the audience a little section solo. The song ended with Savannah Stegall pounding the bass drum and Sean Lane still on the tambourine.
For players like Cole Fender, playing a piece like “Come Sunday” is an important hallmark in his musical career, one he has been preparing for 3 years. “As a sophomore, playing Come Sunday felt like an unrealistic pipe dream, but as the band and I have grown, this dream was able to be realized,” Fender reminisced. His way of shaking off the nerves was to repeat the advice his friends gave him to have fun with it and be bold. Fender wants to thank Brusseau, his mom, dad, and brother for always supporting him and pushing him to do his best. Fender’s after high school plans are to attend Appalachian State University to keep pursuing music. “My advice as a senior is to follow any opportunity given to you. High School is a time of change and growth, and the experiences you make along the way help you make proper career and life decisions in the future,” said Fender.
Cole isn’t the only Fender who had wonderful things to say about the band. His mom, English teacher Allison Fender, spoke about how proud she is of her son. She spoke about how he had a hard time auditioning and knew how badly he wanted this piece. “I’m happy Brusseau fostered that.” While Mrs. Fender is known for her “stone-cold composure,” her son’s performance brought tears to her eyes.
Spencer Gray Melton, a senior clarinet player in Wind Ensemble, says, “Band means an ability to participate in a wonderful community of like-minded, motivated individuals. The band is like family to me.” His parting words of wisdom are, “Make sure you do your assignments on time, show up early for things, always be outgoing and volunteer for things, and always remember to cherish every moment.”
