On Friday, May 24, Archie Williams Music Performance Workshop (PW) hosted the second night of their End-of-the-Year Concert. The event showcased five bands, each possessing a distinct musical style. Each band performed three songs to display their particular talents and interests, captivating the audience with choreography, powerful vocals, rap breaks, and guitar solos.
Over the course of the 2023-24 school year, PW students have performed six concerts. PW music teacher Mario Aparicio aims to allow the musicians to express individuality with their performances, especially at the last concert.
“[I wanted] to have a good End-of-the-Year Concert where there’s a lot of different music. [It was important to have] everything at its best quality all year, and I think it did just that,” Aparicio said.
Band 1 launched the night off with vocalists junior Stella Berlin and freshman Coral John performing an electric cover of Brittany Spears’ “Toxic.” After the cover, Band 1 brought out four members of Archie Williams’ Jazz Band for their second song, a swingy cover of “It Ain’t Over ‘Till It’s Over” by Lenny Kravitz, this time led by Coral and sophomore vocalist Ivy White.
Senior vocalists Eleanor Coffey and Tyler Wolin led the performance of Band 2, the smallest band with only four members. Tyler sang the first song, “Thorn,” by My Bloody Valentine as a solo. In their second song, “You’re Not the Only One I Know,” by the Sundays, Eleanor took over for Tyler and sang with rich emotion, receiving loud applause after finishing.
Band 3 instantly lit up the stage with their performance of “Come Together” by the Beatles, featuring choreography by lead sophomore vocalists Julia Wise and Greek Feeney. After Band 3’s third song, Aparicio came onstage to present the end-of-the-year Leadership Award to Julia, and Most Improved Award to freshman Cece Ficco, the band’s piano player.
The concert gave performers a chance to reflect on their growth throughout the year. Greek believes that PW has helped her gain confidence both onstage and offstage .
“It really helped me with my stage fright, team working skills, music knowledge, and opened up my eyes to a whole different kind of concerts, as well as what goes on behind the scenes,” Greek said.
Band 4 began their first song, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day, with a captivating vocal solo performed by senior pianist Ethan Morris, quickly igniting the audience’s excitement. Their final song, “Play That Funky Music,” by Wild Cherry showcased the dynamic sibling vocal duo of Stella Gregor and Gipsy Gregor. Backed by the Archie Williams Jazz Band players, the song infused a fresh energy that resonated throughout the rest of the night.
The final performance of Band 5 embraced an 80s theme, featuring lead singers senior Casey Sorenson and sophomore Hanna Janson. To close off the year and get the audience dancing, Band 5 brought their bright energy and spirit to the song “Fly as Me” by Silk Sonic.
Hanna believes PW plays a crucial role in her life, and benefits her in acting performances outside of the music program.
“It was one of my favorite things I’ve ever done. Getting on stage is one of my favorite things I’ve ever done in my life. Being able to incorporate music and my stage presence is incredible,” Hanna said.
Each of the five bands brought their passion and spunk for music to the event, creating an unforgettable experience for the audience. The diversity in musical styles showcased by the different bands added a rich, dynamic quality to the event, ensuring that the final PW concert of the year could satisfy every musical taste.
