By: Kayla Kuppertz

The sun is shining, the grass is green, and the birds aren’t the only things making music this spring. The Eisenhower band and orchestra have been practicing for their upcoming spring concert, scheduled for April 30, 7 pm, in the Eisenhower auditorium. Mr. Napolitan directs the instrumental program, and leads the students during the concerts. Students in grades five through twelve will be performing in this concert. The musicians received their concert music shortly after their winter performances, and have been playing the pieces in class and at home. The program will include solos, senior recognition, and an opportunity for elementary level students to play as well.      

     The Squire spoke with senior, outstanding trumpet player, and fellow staff member, Willy Acklin, about his upcoming final performance. “I am pretty excited, but also I’m a little nervous because instead of having a senior solo, Mr. N. is just changing it this year so that instead of a solo, we’re improving in a section of a jazz piece that we’re playing.” When asked what he likes the most about playing trumpet, he responded with, “There’s only three buttons.” He decided to play the trumpet because, “I started in percussion but got bored with it. I really wanted people to hear me, and I wanted to play a more important role in concerts, so I started playing the trumpet to be a star. You can basically say I’m a stereotypical egotistical trumpet player.” Additionally, he gave some advice to the underclassmen in band and orchestra, saying, “Practice and give it your all in class, because when the concert comes, you’ll be embarrassed if you aren’t good.” Finally, he summed up his experiences in the instrumental program with, “Basically in a nutshell, joyous, full of joyful times.”

The songs that the band will be playing include Where No Man’s Gone Before, Big Band Jazz, and Beauty and the Beast. The orchestra will be playing Jupiter, from The Planets, a medley of Western movie themes titled, Go West, and Harry’s Wondrous World, the theme from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The Squire also caught up with sophomore, cellist, and trumpet player, Mikki Gifford, to talk about her feelings towards the approaching spring concert. When asked what the pros and cons of having separate periods for orchestra are, Mikki said, “Con- we can’t hear all the other parts. Pro- we can get more done because there are fewer distractions.” The song that she thinks will be the best, and why, is, “Either Jupiter or Finale, because they flow really well.” Also, she was asked what she thinks students can gain from playing an instrument, and she answered with, “You can learn multitasking.” Finally, Mikki said that, “Playing the music,” is her favorite aspect of orchestra. Hopefully your favorite part will be listening. Friends, family, and students are encouraged to attend the spring concert and support Eisenhower’s musicians.