The annual collage concert was the biggest concert of the year for the music department. Students from all of the bands and choir groups put on the show by playing holiday themed music.
“This is one of the rare opportunities that we get to hear all of the voices across all the groups together,” Nathan Rancatore, choir teacher, said.
The collage concert provides many opportunities for students to take an extra part of the concert by creating their own ensemble with a group of friends or by themselves.
“Students have the opportunity to make their own ensembles to pick an approved song they wanted to play,” Monse Villegas, junior, said.
The small groups of students completely controlled their performance, with some help from the instructors.
“The student groups are run by the students, so they have their own rehearsals, and instructors will check up on them during class to see what they need help with,” Chris Vanderwall, band director, said.
The concert tends to become the student’s favorite concert that they participate in, and that enthusiasm radiates to their performance.
“Students are usually very excited; it’s usually the favorite concert collectively,” Alyssa Bartel, junior, said.
The concert has a different layout compared to other concerts, with students moving around the auditorium, and having the audience wait to applaud until the very end.
“We call it a collage but it’s like a collidoscope, where it’s constantly changing, and so it gives them a different approach compared to other concerts, where they are part of this ever-moving performance,” Rancatore said.
The most difficult part of putting on the concert is coordination. With every performance being directly after one another, the students must take charge in knowing their positions and being able to do such without the help of the instructors.
“A lot of work goes into coordinating around 250 students, so for myself, Mr. Vanderwall, Mr. Hoadley to coordinate all of that, it’s a lot to undertake,” Rancatore said.
The concert is  the only time that the entire music department comes together, making the concert a special time for both the band and the choir.
“Everybody is together all the time during marching season. Once that ends, they don’t actually get together as a full band anymore, and so this gives them the opportunity to see each other and work together again,” Vanderwall said.
The students held the finale by having the band students on stage, while the choir students wrapped around the audience.
“Everyone is playing an instrument, and everyone is singing, it’s literally the music department on display all at once,” Rancatore said.