On Monday, Oct. 27, Archie Williams High School’s Performance Workshop (PW) and Guitar Workshop (GW) classes performed their first concert of the year. With strong energy, the musicians captivated the audience from the beginning with strong vocals and talented guitarists, drummers, and bassists. Hosted at the Archie Williams Little Theater, the concert began at 6:30 p.m. and lasted until 8:30 p.m.
Mario Aparicio, the Archie Williams Music Director, opened the show with a short speech about the students’ dedication and the importance of family support for the music program. Aparicio then introduced the first PW band, whose performance featured strong guitar portions from sophomore Calvin Jackman and freshman Ryan Sorensen. Additionally, Aparicio joined the band for two songs for his debut vocal performance and shared his thoughts about the performance.
“I am very proud of all these students. This is their first concert for many of them… It’s been really cool to see the energy and the support [from the audience],” Aparicio said.
The second PW band to perform consisted of junior Lena Marcucci on vocals, complemented by a guitar feature from sophomore Henry Luck. The band members connected a mix of indie, pop rock, and folk music. Their performance of the song “Washing Machine Heart” by Mitski had soft vibes and a modern feel.
The third PW band walked onto the stage with moving solos from freshmen vocalists Siena Davis and Fiona Diger. Their performance consisted of three alternative indie songs, including “Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers.
With the first half of the show coming to an end, sophomore Floyd McCall performed on drums, accompanied by Aparicio on the guitar. The performance then took an intermission during which GW sophomore Charlie Kreinberg played “Island in the Sun” by Weezer.
After the intermission, the fifth band, featuring three vocalists and two instrumentalists, quickly brought back the energy with a mix of older alternative rock and soul and newer pop. Sophomore vocalist Daphne Gower showed off her strong voice during solo parts in “The Subway” by Chappell Roan, and came together with sophomore Ramona Helzberg and junior Lilly Zucker to create beautiful harmonies in their cover of “Ironic” by Alanis Morissette.
Ramona found that this year’s performances were a step up from previous years.
“I think that the quality of the performance has improved a lot from last year, even though it was only the first one of the [2025-26] year,” Ramona said.
The sixth band closed the night with a bang. Bringing an energetic mood to the performance, the band’s vocalists included junior Petra Betti and senior Sadie Moors. Their performance also featured special guitar solos from seniors Ben Bergen and Santiago Desruisseau, which highlighted the band’s mix of progressive metal and electric blues. Their high energy created a lively atmosphere that continued to engage the crowd for one last set.
With all six bands bringing different strengths and genres, the talented students created a vibrant, energetic atmosphere. PW and GW kept this momentum going during their next two nights of concerts, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 28 and 29, both at 6:30 p.m.
