A jazzy start to the holiday season

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Photo by Conner McQueen '17

The South Jazz Band played at the Yule Be Boppin’ Concert on Dec. 9. The Jazz Band rehearses at least twice per week, sometimes for more than two hours at a time.

Conner McQueen '17, Staff Writer

On Friday, Dec. 9, the Pierce and South jazz bands conducted their annual ‘Yule Be Boppin’ holiday-themed concert.

According to Chris Takis, the jazz band instructor at both schools, the bands are able to have a little more fun with this concert because of the “low stakes” in comparison to other programs and the low number of holiday concerts compared to the other bands.

“We don’t really have a Christmas or a holiday concert for the symphony band or the concert band,” Takis said. “The jazz band is really the only specific holiday concert that the band program plays, and for that reason I think we all tend to look forward to it.”

Takis, as well as performers like guitarist Mikey Walsh ’17 and trombonist Josh Adams ’17 said the concert was a success.

“I think it went really well; all of the songs we played I really enjoy listening to and I hope others do as much as I do because it’s really festive and fun to play Christmas music,” Walsh said,

Some of the songs played at the concert included: ‘Everyone’s Waiting for the Man With the Bag’, ‘Rockin’ On Top of the World’, ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’, ‘Chili Pepper Christmas’ and several other holiday songs.

Adams mentioned one of the reasons he looks forward to ‘Yule Be Boppin’ is because he enjoys of the festive music he plays. The song he most fondly remembered playing at this concert was ‘Rockin’ On Top of the World’.

“We played ‘Rockin’ On Top of the World’ from ‘The Polar Express’ and that song just grooves,” Adams said. ”It was really fun to play and it was probably one of the highlights of the night.”

As a whole, Takis and the performers said the concert went smoothly and without any hiccups.

“All of the solos turned out really well and everyone was playing at their best, it was just a really good concert,” Walsh said.