The first band concert of the year was the Jazz and Marching Band concert, held on Nov. 2 in the Longman Performing Arts Center. IHS’s music department is always trying to collaborate with other departments, they were joined by IHS Cheer and the IHS Dance Team for this performance. Jazz Band kicked the concert off with an upbeat performance of Gordon Goodwin’s “That’s Life,” featuring a trumpet solo by senior Louis Violette, and a drum solo by senior Hana Hamrah. Jazz Band also performed “Sway” By Mark Taylor, with vocals by junior Momo Brown. “Sway” was made popular largely by TikTok, used as a transition audio. It was a fun addition to have Brown’s amazing vocals with the smooth, alluring song. You might recognize Brown’s voice from the National Anthem at assemblies and Football games.

A more heartfelt song they performed was “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You” by Rick Hirsch, featuring a trombone solo by senior Tyler Janous. Junior and trombone player Zoë Mockford shared how she felt about this performance: “I felt that we as a band did great. Personally, I did pretty well, there were a couple of things I could have done better.” Mockford also shared her goal for this concert: “To play well, make my section leaders proud, make myself proud, and make my family proud.” Jazz Band ended their performance with “Crunchy Frog” by Gordon Goodwin, with solos by sophomore Grayson Janous, senior Ben Dong, senior Alex Cameron, and senior Tyler Janous.

The concert then transitioned to Marching Band, starting with the inspiring song, “Fly Like an Eagle” by Tim Waters. They also performed Stevie Wonder’s “Danger Zone,” featuring a captivating performance by dance and cheer. You have likely heard the band’s performance of “Danger Zone” at a football game. They wrapped up the concert with an energetic rendition of Panic At the Disco’s “Victorious.” Overall, this concert was positive and enjoyable, a great start to the year for IHS Band.