The Issaquah High School Jazz and Marching Band performed at the Longman Performing Arts Center on Nov. 2. The evening was packed with upbeat music, sing-along tunes, and soloist pieces.

The performances began with the Jazz Band playing a total of six songs: “That’s Life,” “Flight of the Footbirds,” “Sway (Quien Sera),” “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You,” “Artistry in Rhythm,” and “Crunchy Frog.” The audience thoroughly enjoyed the solo portions that nine different band students played throughout those songs. A highlight of this portion of the concert was a feature of Junior Momo Brown, a vocalist from the IHS Choir who sang along with the Jazz Band performers to “Sway.” Trombonist Senior Peter Fornia states, “My favorite [song] was definitely ‘Crunchy Frog’ because I got to blast every note during the performance.”

The Jazz Band was followed by the Marching Band for their performances. IHS Band Director Patrick Holen stated that the concert originated when they started a percussion class and it was difficult to coordinate due to the involvement of the Drumline and Marching Band as they wanted to showcase their songs as well. The Marching Band played several pieces including “Fly Like An Eagle” and “Superstition.” Afterward, the band played the Issaquah “Fight Song,” “Sasquatch,” their “Go, Fight, Win” chant, “Seven Nation Army,” and “Danger Zone,” as the Issaquah Dance and Cheer Teams joined them to perform their routines on stage. The presence of the Dance Team and cheerleaders undoubtedly increased the excitement among the spectators, especially because some members of the Marching Band stood beside them as they performed. After the Dance and Cheer teams exited, the Marching Band wrapped up their segment by playing “Holiday.”

The Drumline gave a few exceptional performances following the Marching Band, including “Low Rider,” “You Can Call Me Al,” and “Victorious.” The seniors all joined together to perform pieces on their specialized instruments as the concert came to an end. Finally, all the players that were in the audience returned to the stage and the show concluded with their Senior Night halftime routine.

Overall, both the players and the audience thought the concert was fantastic! Senior Tommy Davies stated, “I thought the concert was pretty good; the Jazz Band, though, was especially good.” Before calling the performance to an official close, Holen thanked the audience, performers, and their percussion instructor, David Johnson. Senior Viraaj Singh, a member of the Percussion Ensemble, stated, “I want to thank Mr. Johnson for teaching us and inspiring us every day, for running all the drum cadences, and most importantly, yelling at us.”

The audience could see the time, effort, and hard work that the students had put into perfecting their pieces, and they were extremely appreciative of it, giving them deserving applause at the end. Save the date for their upcoming performance at the Winter Band Concert on Dec. 7!