Musicians from all grades piled into the Campo Cafeteria on October 3rd to start off the 12th annual Campolindo Pops concert with a potluck dinner. The concert welcomes freshmen into the Campo music program and gives parents a night of good music and food.
The potluck started at 6:00pm, when parents, teachers, and students lined up at long buffet tables to serve themselves a portion.
Students from all levels and genres of music ate side by side as parents and teachers mingled. Said freshman Andrew Wang, “it helps get everyone acquainted with each other to play music.”
After the meal, students moved to the CPAC and to prepare for the performance. Meanwhile, the Music Boosters, a group that hosts fundraisers benefiting the music program, met in the Cafeteria to discuss the agenda for 2011-2012.
Once the Booster meeting had ended, everyone took a seat in the CPAC, which was packed. The jazz band kicked off the concert with jazz improvisations.
Each band member played an improv solo. The solos “helps bring everyone together into beautiful song” said sophomore saxophone player Newton Kwan.
Once the Jazz band had finished, the orchestra and symphonic bands took the stage. The bands covered 225 years in music history, from Mozart to The Beatles, Santana and Scott Joplin.
Harvey Benstein, Campolindo’s Music Teacher, conducted the orchestra and symphonic band. The concert is “our opportunity to do a more popular repertoire,” said Benstein. “The Pops concert started out as a student idea to do a lighter program, and we decided to merge it with the Booster meeting”.
