The Higley Instrumental Family
January 17 and 18, 2023 were very special days within the Higley Instrumental Programs for a variety of reasons. 6th and 8th grade families got a peek at what the future holds for their student’s musical journey, while the HHS families were able to reflect upon the rewarding progress their students have made in recent years.
Tuesday’s concert began with the 6th grade band students from the Bridges, Centennial, Cortina, Power Ranch and San Tan Elementary schools joining together to perform a combined piece entitled Starsplitter Fanfare. This was followed by a lively performance of Afterburner from the 8th grade SMS Symphonic Band.
The HHS Wind Ensemble, the elite band on campus, then took the stage. After their performance of Rise of the Firebird, all the 6th and 8th grade students joined them to perform Shorewood Overture. For the Wind Ensemble members, this is a very poignant piece as most of them have previously performed the 6th grade and 8th grade parts during their years in the program.
On Wednesday evening, the Orchestra students showcased their talent. 6th grade Orchestra students from the Bridges, Centennial, Cortina, Power Ranch, and San Tan Elementary schools performed a combined piece entitled Dragonhunter, followed by the SMS Orchestra.
The HHS String Orchestra then took the stage to perform. Immediately following, all the 6th grade and 8th grade Orchestra students joined them to perform Electric Sinfonia.
Although the afternoon for all of these students was filled with group rehearsals, there was some fun downtime for socializing. Before each concert, the instrumentalists gathered for a pizza dinner in the cafeteria where they had the opportunity to chat with students from the other schools. Needless to say, we went through a lot of pizza!!!
