Spring Band Concert in Quincy: Where Beginnings, Growth, and Excellence Share the Same Stage
From first notes to state-level performances, Thursday night showcased what happens when students choose to be brave and a community chooses to support them
It was a bit of a slow start Thursday night.
The doors opened late, the line stretched out the entrance, and over a hundred 6th grade band students sat on stage waiting while families slowly found their seats. There was a little awkwardness, a little frustration, and that familiar feeling that comes when things don’t quite go to plan.
Large events like this are never simple, and logistics can create a little tension at the start. But then, almost magically, the music begins and none of that really matters anymore. The early chaos fades, and the night settles into something better than expected. And that begins with the 6th grade band.
I am not going to lie, the 6th grade band was not great musically; (don’t stop reading yet) it was okay and precisely what I expected. The skill has not been built out fully yet, nor would I expect it to be. Thursday night we were witness to the beginning of over 100 new journeys, and they did far better than I did at my earliest concerts.
We are all familiar with how bad a young person learning their instruments can sound. It is such a common comedic trope that it shows up in every television sitcom in history. Something exaggerated and more akin to the sounds one imagines a dying moose might make. (No, they were not that bad.)
That is why it was one of my favorite performances of the night. All the performances were good, but a couple stood out, and 6th grade band was one of them.
6th grade stood out because of the potential, because of the bravery, and the path to greatness that is beginning for over 100 students. I remember starting orchestra in 3rd or 4th grade. I was not good, and it was not pleasant for anyone. In 5th grade I had to start over with band because we moved. New instrument and a return to being a beginner. I was not good, but none of us were good. We were all beginners at one point, and we were not good because no one starts good.
I remember walking on stage the first time, knowing that we were not good. The nerves, the fear, the pressure we put on ourselves—not because we were bad, but because we compared ourselves to people who had already played for years.
Thursday night, over a hundred 6th graders looked fear in the face, knowing they are beginners, and showed up anyway. Afraid of judgment, lacking confidence, and with little experience, they said, “We will perform, we will try when others would not, and we will give our best.” It was a declaration of greatness.
As adults, we often stop being brave. Over 100 6th graders showed us how thursday night. They started a journey toward what is possible and unlimited potential. If they choose to put in effort, practice, and dedication, we may have heard one of the earliest performances of the next Miles Davis, and we will not know for years to come.
I was grateful for everyone in the audience when I was their age and just starting. Now I am grateful that I got to show up and support them in their journey. To the 6th grade band, thank you for being brave, and I can’t wait to see your next performance. Keep playing, keep practicing, and music will be a part of your life forever.
And then you start to hear what happens when kids stick with it.
I was really surprised when 7th grade and 8th grade band were split into two groups. The skill jumps from 6th grade band to 7th and then on to 8th were impressive. It speaks highly of the quality of Quincy’s music program and even more highly of the dedication these young people are showing to their craft.
Their performances were good and entertaining to listen to, very enjoyable.
I was surprised at how much smaller the 7th grade and 8th grade bands were after such a large showing in the 6th grade band. The bands sounded very full and complete despite being a fraction of the size. They performed with a gusto, and it was beautiful and fun. It will be exciting to follow them as they move forward with their music.
It brought two thoughts to mind.
How can we as a community encourage our kids to stay involved with music? The size difference was that extreme from 6th grade band to 7th.
I would also love to see separate concerts for Quincy Middle School and Quincy High School instead of a combined concert.
The sheer number of students involved and the people who came to see them created some interesting logistical challenges. The PAC was pretty full last night, and you could see the natural flow of people coming and going as different groups performed. Some families stepped out after their student finished while others arrived partway through. It’s understandable, but you couldn’t help but feel like every group deserved that same full room for their moment. With this many students and this much support, it may be worth looking at how these concerts are structured moving forward, because what we saw last night is a program that continues to grow.
We had the great opportunity to listen to a couple of our students who have earned a chance to compete at the state level in April. Emmanuel Santiago played the beautiful clarinet solo that he will be competing with, and it was excellent. Juan Ferreyra also brought his trumpet solo that he will be competing with at the state competition. Both students displayed both their technical skill and their musical ability in their section of music.
These are the moments where Quincy shows up beyond Quincy and I look forward to hearing how their performances at the state competition go.
We were then treated to the high school honors band. I have to say it was incredible to see the tremendous jump from young people starting their journey in music to a group of students who have dedicated themselves to their musical journeys for several years.
If you are not familiar with honors band; it’s a select group of top student musicians, usually chosen by audition, who come together to perform more advanced music. These students rehearse separately and are pushed to a higher level, and it’s considered an honor because only the strongest players on each instrument are selected, making it similar to an all-star team for band students.
Not to play down the many other students in the music program, every student has to ultimately decide what things they want to focus on in their student life. Honors bands are frequently made up of students who have sacrificed other pursuits to focus more deeply on their music.
Their performance was incredible, and you can see the dedication of these students to their music. The music was powerful and invigorating. Music is something that is experienced, not just heard, and the honors band students certainly took us on a journey.
Interestingly, a lot of listeners will not know the big differences between honors band and the fuller concert band pieces. Unless you are a musician, the nuances in technical differences and difficulties between pieces can be lost. There are some very famous technical pieces that are not very enjoyable to listen to but display expertise, while there are beautiful pieces that sound much better to an audience that are much simpler.
Directors Devan Chandler and Shaina Stuckey did an excellent job picking the pieces for each group in the show.
One of the outstanding groups of the night was the drumline. I told you that there were two performances that stuck out for me. That in no way means that I think less of any of the other groups. I enjoyed every moment of the concert from start to finish, but there are things that always stand out to people.
I have never heard a drumline in person before. I have seen it on TV, I have seen it on YouTube, and the truth is, I had no idea we even had a drumline.
I was awed by the drumline. The performance was breathtaking as they moved from the stage into the audience. Experiencing music came to a whole new meaning as you quite literally could “feel” the beats as the drummers went to work.
The coordination, the sync between every drummer, and the tempo shifts kept my entire family locked in through every beat. While we were all impressed as they moved back on stage, what came next was artistry in motion.
I cannot actually explain in words the experience. I am not gifted enough as a writer to fully convey to you what it is like nor how captivating it is to witness, and YouTube does not do it justice. Their next piece kept us locked in with anticipation through every beat.
The drum solos were fun as the drumline continued in lockstep. Top marks for the night; watching a drummer being suspended upside down by other students by his ankles while playing a drum solo has to win special mention for showmanship.
I have seen many great performances in our PAC since it was built, but really, showmanship has to go to that move. More fun still was watching him give a flex after to one of his buddies off stage because he knew it was cool. He was right.
The hardest part of writing something like this is knowing how much you’re leaving out. There are so many students, so many moments, so many pieces that deserve recognition. You can’t capture all of it, no matter how much you try. But what you can do is recognize what it all adds up to.
The Quincy High School concert band came on last and brought an energy, emotion, and performance that left us all wanting more. From the bonus we got with them playing 99 Red Balloons from their pep band repertoire through the familiar themes in Arabian Dances at the end, the music was incredible. While the drumline got my daughter’s attention, the songs they were moved by came from the incredible concert band.
So many great student musicians in one program.
What Thursday night really showed wasn’t just how good these students are, but what is possible when they choose to keep showing up, keep practicing, and keep being brave enough to try. Programs like this don’t build themselves, and moments like this don’t happen by accident. They’re built by students, supported by teachers, and sustained by a community that believes it matters. If you get the chance to show up for the next performance, take it, because nights like this are where you see Quincy at its best.