On March 6 and 7, in the Performing Arts Center (PAC), at 7 p.m., the band program hosted their two-day winter concert. This year, Mundelein High School’s Wind Ensemble performed as well.
On March 6, the Stevenson Advanced Symphonic, Honor Band, and Mundelein High School’s Wind Ensemble performed. On the second day, Stevenson’s 7th and 8th period freshman band combined to perform together, followed by Stevenson’s 4th and 5th period Symphonic Bands.
The process of planning the concert starts several months in advance. The first step in planning is choosing the music. One of Stevenson’s Band Directors, Caitlin McGovern, believes the most important part of the concert is choosing music which is the best fit for the band.
”We want to make sure that the music is something that everyone will enjoy since we will spend a lot of time with it,” McGovern said. “Beyond that, we choose pieces which are going to challenge the ensemble.”
McGovern values the importance of choosing pieces that students will truly enjoy working with. This year’s selection in music comprised pieces from various genres, the most frequently played genre being folk songs, from several cultures. For instance, pieces highlighting Irish culture included Loch Lomond and Lagan Love, and Takeda Lullaby and Hibiki were based upon Japanese music.
Each band performed three pieces. Among the nine pieces that were played on the second day of the concert, Nisha Salian ‘26, member of 4th period Symphonic Band, particularly enjoyed playing Takeda Lullaby composed by Benjamin Yeo.
“The piece really highlighted many individuals in the ensemble while their peers supported them by either singing or playing harmonic counterparts,” Salian said. “The song really reminds me of a peaceful environment, almost like going in the middle of the forest near a waterfall and calm brook surrounded by beautiful scenery.”
Salian’s immense admiration for Takeda Lullaby came after several months of hard work. She believes that preparing for concerts is a way for each member of the ensemble to grow.
“I remember when we first got these pieces how poorly we collectively sounded, but now I feel confident enough to play on stage,” Salian said.
Salian believes that reflecting on personal growth is an important aspect of the concert. Danna Li ‘26, member of Advanced Symphonic Band, found that the experience of listening to other bands makes the concert experience memorable.
“They have their own type of high-quality sound, just like Stevenson’s, but with a different, classical style,” Li said. “I think musicians are always willing to listen to unique music and implement certain techniques into their own performance.”
For Li, hearing Mundelein was a valuable experience for her personal musical growth. Ultimately, the concert is the moment for the ensemble to show their hard work from the concert cycle.
“It is really cool to see a summative moment of all the work we’ve done over the past two months and then also get to share that with family and friends,” McGovern said.