Friday, January 16, 2015
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Neighbors | Tim Cleveland.The Austintown Fitch High School jazz ensemble began the Holiday Jazz Concert at the school's auditorium with the song "Born to be Wild."
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Neighbors | Tim Cleveland.An Austintown Fitch High School student played the piano during the Holiday Jazz Concert in the school's auditorium.
By TIM CLEVELAND
For the second consecutive year, Austintown Intermediate School students were treated to a Holiday Jazz Concert put on by the two Austintown Fitch High School jazz ensembles.
The 45-minute concert took place Dec. 19 in Fitch’s auditorium, with each ensemble playing four or five songs.
Jazz ensemble one was led by Fitch head band director Wesley O’Connor, while jazz ensemble two was headed by Austintown Middle School band director [and Fitch assistant band director] Marc Pupino.
Jazz ensemble one played Christmas songs such as “Jingle Bells” and “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen,” plus the hit song “Happy.” Jazz ensemble two played “Born to be Wild” and “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” among others.
According to O’Connor, all of the Austintown schools now being on one campus makes putting the concert on for the students a much easier task.
“In the past when the elementary schools were split up, we would take the jazz bands to each individual elementary school to perform a quick show for them,” O’Connor said. “However, with the new buildings, there’s no where in the new buildings to fit 1,000 kids so we just walk them over here and perform one show for everybody.”
O’Connor said the two ensembles have been practicing for the show since the middle of September. Jazz one practices Wednesdays after school and jazz two practices two days per week before school.
“It’s all after-school time and on a volunteer basis,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor said the practices have been progressive leading up to the concert.
“[They are] great; these kids have worked hard,” he said. “They come in prepared and they work very, very hard.”
O’Connor said doing the concert is a great way for people to learn about the band and what it does.
“Just promotion of what we do here at the high school,” he said. “Promotion for the high school, promotion for the band and music in general. It’s something for the kids to enjoy, also.”