December is a month of gingerbread, mistletoe, hot chocolate, and ugly sweaters, but for East students, one thing rises above all the rest: Winterfest. This year, Winterfest will be on the 18th and 19th at 7:00PM in the East Auditorium. Doors will open at 6:30PM for general seating.
Winterfest is one of the biggest and busiest events of the year, especially for our performers. “It seems to be the busiest time of year for those involved in music and even for many that aren’t,” freshman trumpet player Zekeriya Spoth said. Freshman bass clarinetist Kasey Vangelov added, “But it’s also the most fun. It does require more work than last year in middle school, but it is worth is because we all sound amazing.” Both freshmen seem to be nervous but very excited. This is the time for the music department to “do our best and show what we can do,” Malika Kodial, another freshman who is in Women’s Chorus, said.
For others, Winterfest is a long-standing tradition of making good music new friends. Teagan Faran, a senior and exceptional violinist, has been playing in Winterfest since she was in 7th grade. She has played a variety of pieces ranging from classical, tangos, to jazz with dozens of groups and solos throughout the years. She especially looks forward to “Sleigh Ride,” a Symphonic Orchestra piece that serves as the fun finale every year. “It’s part of East’s tradition,” she says.
What makes all the performances so good is the hard work of our music teachers. The teachers have put a lot of time and effort into making Winterfest a truly remarkable experience for both performers and listeners. They make the music department what even those not involved in music call “the best in the whole area,” as stated by freshman Timmy Finley. For Teagan, it has made her “a better musician and a better person because the teachers encourage integrity, responsibility, and hard work” in the musicians. She also has told us what makes Winterfest so special to so many people: not only is it the time for the music department to shine and “show off,” it’s also the time when people who wouldn’t normally talk to each other become friends with one another. Both musicians and the audience bond with all the Winterfest rehearsals and the show itself.
Duo Xu is also a senior who is breathtakingly good at her instrument, the piano. Her freshman year, she didn’t want to audition. She says, ”When I first came in as a freshman, I was terrified. I didn’t want to audition, but my mom told me to give it a shot. So I decided, as long as I could play a piece I really liked, why not?” Now, she says, “The thought of not being in Winterfest is enough to make me cry!” The love of the show in all musicians is clearly evident and seems to have developed over their years. Duo ended up making it in the show with a solo her freshman year, a great achievement due to the level of competitiveness and the quality our music teachers look for in the auditions.
However, Duo tells us that she doesn’t want to be thought of as “someone who gets in every year” just because she made it in her first year. “I work really hard on my solos, sometimes starting my practice in the summer before school,” she says. “I know best how long it takes me to really have a piece down. I hope others won’t think of me as someone who gets in just because.” This shows the level of difficulty and how much of an accomplishment it is to make the show. Duo, like many of our musicians, describes the music wing as a sort of a “home” for her. “I love everyone, and all the teachers. Ms. Reilly is like my second mother. I’m honored to have a teacher like Mr. Moose, and Doc is really too kind to me. Ms. DeGolia is always so nice to me,” Duo said. She added, “The East Music department is part of me now. That’s the only way I can describe it.” All musicians seem to have been impacted and improved by the incredible music program at our school.
For the audience, Winterfest means both the same and different things from the performers. The auditorium becomes filled with enthusiastic audiences like Timmy Finley, a freshman who has attended our show since three years ago. “I’m looking forward to the annual Grinch performance in the beginning and also the all the amazing music performances,” Finley said with a smile. This year’s Grinch is played by senior Elias Miller.
Mrs. Roberts, our French teacher, has told us her reason of attendance: “I go to see my students who are participating,” she says, “it also brings back fond memories of when I was in school, playing the violin in orchestra, keyboard in band, and singing in chorale and musicals.” When asked about what she thinks of Winterfest and the East music department in general, she replied with enthusiastic “I love it!” and used words such as “joyful” and “creative” to describe our music program.
Mrs. Roberts also stated that she loves the format of Winterfest, saying she has a festive experience with the unique use of the staging and auditorium. “The music is all around us,” she says. Winterfest seems to be the time of reminisce, enjoyment, and meeting new people for both the audience and performers, not just making and listening to wonderful music and having a great experience.
