MVHS Band Performs At Symphony By The Sea

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Publication Info: Imperial Beach Eagle & Times

Publication Date: October 15, 2018

On Saturday, Oct. 6, Imperial Beach held its annual “Symphony by the Sea.” Two of San Diego State University’s performance ensembles, the Wind Symphony and the Symphony Orchestra, played on the beach for a crowd of families, friends, and visitors. This year however, the Mar Vista High School (MVHS) Band had the opportunity to play the intermission of the show. It was a night full of lights, music, and laughter.

The Mar Vista Band is taught and directed by Maren Glover. She has been teaching band for three years. She was very excited about this opportunity that the band was given to play with higher level musicians at such a popular event. She said, “I was thrilled to have been asked and was excited to participate in any way we could!”

Glover also commented on working with SDSU saying, “My favorite thing about being a musician myself and teaching music is that you are never without a community to be a part of, no matter where you are, and I think that the MVHS students are beginning to find that within themselves through exposure to events like this. I’m excited to have this new partnership with SDSU and to continue the learning process with them!”

After SDSU’s Symphony Orchestra finished, the Mar Vista Band walked out with their instruments and their matching shirts. In each song they played, they were accompanied by one SDSU student per section. They started off by playing “Zero to Hero” from the movie Hercules.

The crowd was smiling, many of them parents of the students playing. The music was slowly taking over the crowd, people were bobbing to the music, tapping their feet, and snapping their fingers. Everyone applauded at the end of the song.

The next song Mar Vista played was “Jurassic Park,” from the movie of the same name. The band played with enthusiasm, making sure that every instrument was in tune. Next was “The Pokemon Theme Song,” which definitely had the kids up and dancing. It made for a great time for the whole family. However, the big crescendo was yet to come.

The volume of the music increased and the curtains opened to reveal that SDSU had joined the Mar Vista Band. Together, they played the Mar Vista fight song “On Wisconsin.” The audience immediately erupted in cheers and started clapping along to the beat of the song. As a cry of “Go Mar Vista!” was heard from the audience, you could feel the school spirit in the air.

When asked about performing with SDSU, flautist and senior Cecilia Porras said, “It’s always great playing with musicians from other bands. No one person is taught the same. It also shows us how we can pursue music after high school. They all had great tips and attitudes.”

Trumpeter and senior Armando Garcia also added, “Watching them play was really amazing, and it just shows that hard work really does pay off, and that if I practice and work hard I can be just as good.”

This was the first time performing in the Symphony by the Sea for the MVHS Band. It was also their first time performing in front of a crowd of that magnitude. Porras said, “That is one of the largest audiences we’ve played for. It was a little overwhelming but it gets easier after so many performances, and because it was the whole band together.”

Other members were nothing but excited to play in front of such a large crowd. Saxophonist and junior Arianna Phelps said, “I felt super excited to play for a large audience! I was the opposite of nervous.”

About the experience, Glover commented, “I feel that it was an excellent experience for all of the students involved, both high school and college.”

Overall, the performance was a good time for everyone involved. The students and the audience both found themselves with smiles after the show. It was a great opportunity for the Mar Vista band to learn from higher level musicians and to experience what it’s like to play a show of that magnitude. It showed them the dedication needed to be a band member.

Phelps summed it up by saying, “Music takes hard work and dedication. It takes a lot of time to learn an instrument and a sheet of music. You need to really want it.”