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Schools

Viking and Panther Bands Score A Catch of the Day

Both bands take over the Clocktower to celebrate with a Jazz 'N Crab Feed.

On February 3, the stone was a warmly lit lantern, glowing from within.  Food, music and radiant energy beckoned ticket holders to their Jazz destination.  The Jazz ‘N Crab Feed is an eagerly awaited annual community affair.  It has been hosted by the middle school and high school music programs for four years in a row and was sold out once again.  It provides critical funding for both music programs, which survive solely on parent and community donations.

For much of the year, the band students compete or perform in classical concerts on stage where they remain for the entire performance.  However, on this night, the crowd was treated to that elusive and treasured ability to lightheartedly entertain.  The ‘fourth wall’ was opened and the crowd was pulled in. 

We saw such moments, one of which occurred when the Panther Jazz Band broke free of their corral, jumped the fence, and became free-range musicians as they formed a Dixieland conga line for When The Saints Go Marching In.  At the end of the evening, there was a floor show with encore performances of the first and third place winners of the recent High School . 

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For senior, Lauren Gentle, it’s her favorite gig as a Jazz musician.  As the middle and high school Jazz Bands alternated back and forth for each number, it was difficult to tell them apart. They encouraged each other and it was touching to see the high school respectfully supporting their younger band counterparts.  Many seniors seemed caught in the bittersweet limbo of looking ahead to college while looking back across the room at younger versions of themselves. 

On the surface, this is usually an evening of great music, food and entertainment.  However, this particular fundraiser has deeper, underlying benefits.  A great deal of life lessons and bonding occur beneath the festive surface. 

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For instance, it requires a great deal of interaction between the middle school and high school band programs.  Adults from both programs work very closely with each other for months, forming ties and learning from one another.  High school parent booster Debbie Flores said, “The community and the bonds we form in raising our children together is one of life's greatest gifts.  Can't say that enough.”  

During the evening, because the workload was very large in order to support the over 300 guests, it required the remaining band students to work shifts.  Middle school students were teamed with their high school counterparts to operate as the large family it is.  

In fact, the band students were the ‘face of the night’ as the adults worked the perimeter to greet, sell beverages and become a quiet presence in the midst of the flurry of student activity.  Like the adults, the students also did other types of hard work; serving, running the elevator, cleaning, moving equipment, working in teams, washing dishes, and none were above these non-glamorous tasks.  They devoted their night to support their fellow band members playing jazz on stage.

In fact, at the entrance to the kitchen, it resembled a busy beehive:  as floor servers landed on the ledge to hand off platters, others took off to attend to the many locations around the room. 

Leslie Blackie, who co-chaired with middle school parent Erin Biber, also saw the magic woven by nights like this. “The band programs teach intangibles like leadership and community service.”  She noted things like, “internal leadership of upperclassmen helping younger high school students and middle school students with various tasks,” and the “privilege for adults and teenagers to work side by side to get tasks done.”  

(Community support was also a key factor.  Our sponsors included food donations from GraciesFarm Fresh To You, Costco and Revolution.  helped upgrade the decorations, and donated an artfully crafted instrument lamp for the silent auction.) 

This is truly an event where the band students work hard and directly own the successful growth of their own program, instead of relying upon adults to work the lion’s share of fundraising.

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