Band Update - Prepping for Rallies

The Mighty Button Band is shifting gears back to their fall repertoire and preparing for three upcoming pep rallies at local San Antonio catholic schools. St. Luke Catholic School, Holy Spirit Catholic School, and Mount Sacred Heart School have called the band to serve in their Spring pep rallies. The band members and our CC Colorguard are currently in preparations for these events and delivering exciting performances of the music heard from the fall season halftime shows. In the band hall, the students are re-adapting to their outdoor sound and choreography. Drumline will execute their most popular cadences while the band polishes up songs such as Thriller, You Give Love a Bad Name, Hey Baby, Boot Scootin’ Boogie, September, and Seven Nation Army (Sweet Caroline, too). In the midst of practicing for Solo and Ensemble as well as the TAPPS Spring Competition, we are taking the initiative of being much more flexible with the amount of repertoire we have. The days of each week are divided into rehearsals specifically for Drumline, Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Pep Band. In addition, afterschool private lessons will also be rendered for one-on-one instruction for students. Drum Major, Benicio Martinez (’24) is excited to be back conducting the band this semester while preparing for a very important audition for the UTSA Music Program. The audition will determine his place in the UTSA Ensembles upon admission next year. We are very proud of his efforts and flexibility in his investment in the band program and his future college endeavors.

 

The Classical method is the next approach to the world of guitar. The CC Student musicians were given instruction over fingerstyle picking to build dexterity and endurance. In addition, the class is learning a popular piece by The Beatles called Blackbird, a finger-style piece most commonly recognized today from the movie, Boss Baby. The boys are excited to be learning this piece which reignites their interest in furthering their efforts in fingerstyle picking. Finally, all students have been assigned their first classical piece which they will perform in front of the class on Wednesday, January 17th. This summative performance will help the students build confidence and be coached in concert etiquette while performing in front of the class. Since the beginning of January, the students have been practicing hard for this upcoming in-class performance, and we look forward to hearing each one play their solos.

 

After choosing their instrument to study over the course of the Spring Semester, the students have been hard at work producing the sounds of the songs they have chosen. The most challenging obstacle, according to one student, is staying on time while performing. Metronomes and modeled instruction were used to help the students build a “pulse” and feel the beat of the music as they played. The highlight of this experience is the satisfaction on their faces when they produce sound or play the notes or chords correctly. The little achievements create a long-lasting impact on their self-esteem, ultimately motivating them to do more and one day demonstrate when the holy spirit moves in them. DIRECTOR’S REMARKS Day by day, there is musical growth happening within the walls of the Button Band hall. If you feel called to do something new, there are a lot of options waiting to be chosen. By the grace of God, I pray that our band and fine arts program continues to grow in numbers and continue delivering the same enjoyable and charismatic sound if not better for years to come.