BEGINNER BAND

Conducted by Mike Major & Kayla Crowley

Program

Inception

Composed by Joseph Compello

The term "inception" refers to the establishment or starting point of an institution or activity.  Composer Joseph Compello wrote this original concert overture to signify the beginning of a band journey, and to inspire beginner band students to continue. Inception uses the first six notes of the Bb-major scale, a scale our beginners have been working on since the first month of playing their instruments. Inception is also a name of a popular 2010 science fiction action film, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The movie explores themes of dreams and the human subconscious. Whether the movie was inspiration for Joseph Compello's creation of the piece is unclear. However, we have certainly used the epicness and action-fueled nature of the film to influence our interpretation of the music.

Dañza Feliz

Composed by William Owens

Danza Feliz was written as a tribute to one of Mr. Owen's favorite schools that he works with. Danza Feliz (a.k.a happy dance in English) is a delightful, Latin-flavored work, filled with catchy rhythms, robust harmonies and a strong melodic focus. Immediately from the beginning, the music takes command and sustains a sense of playful motion through the end. When he wrote this song, composer William Owens was heavily influenced by mariachi music and the music theory behind it. Mariachi is a genre of regional Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, two trumpets and at least one guitar, and all players taking turns singing lead and doing backup vocals. You'll especially notice the mariachi influence at the end of the song, when students play three elongated notes that showcase mariachi chords. According to the music, this section is to be played "a la mariachi." 

Mechanical Monsters

Composed by Randall Standridge

Mechanical Monsters was born out of composer Randall Standridge's love of two things: B-monster movies from the 50's and 60's and teaching beginning band. In this work, the sounds of metal and gears are used to overlay a repeating, plodding groove that suggests something shambling it's way across a darkened countryside, drawing ever closer to the unsuspecting city dwellers, completely unaware of the havoc that is about to befall them. In this piece, every performer gets to be a percussionist, as there is a section that requires wind players to tap their stands with a pencil to replicate the sound of the monsters' first steps after its activation. You will also hear the performer make an energetic "hiss" sound to represent the steam that is released from the monsters' neck bolts. Get ready for imminent destruction, and enjoy Mechanical Monsters!

SYMPHONIC BAND

Conducted by Kayla Crowley

Program

Predators of the Deep

Composed by Edward Kennedy

Prepare yourself for a thrilling journey into the inky dark depths of the sea. As you descend deeper into the darkness you sense the presence of something lurking just out of sight, seeking its next prey. Exciting and programmatic, the music will captivate the imagination, making a thrilling and suspenseful opener to this portion of the concert. Predators of the Deep depicts one's primal, inner fears of entering deep water and the awareness that there just may be something lurking below the surface, seeking out its next prey.

After the Rain

Composed by Matt Neufeld

A note from the composer:

This year (2021) I had a particularly dry summer where I live, We had no rain for months, but, finally, in mid August, the heavens finally opened with a week of glorious rain. After one day of particularly furious thunderstorms, the rain finally broke around 8 p.m. I walked out onto my lawn to survey the aftermath and, as I saw rain dripping off of every surface, I saw the clouds rolling back and the sun shining through. The grass, which had been looking brown all summer, has a tinge of green to it again. 

To me, this is also a metaphor for the world starting to become right again after a year of being locked down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After over a year of trauma and isolation, we begun to emerge from our cocoons, and see each other again, and begin the long process of righting our worlds. 

Though the winds blow, and the thunder blooms, the rain brings growth and healing in storm's wake.

Tambora!

Composed by William Owens

Mount Tambora is an active volcano in the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Tambora's eruption in 1815 was the largest and most deadly ever recorded, causing the deaths of tens of thousands. In the aftermath, the volcanic cloud was so dense and widespread that the year 1816 became known as "The Year Without Summer." As the work opens, the music evokes the power and majesty of the great mountain. Boisterous percussion, along with stomping and clapping, represent the massive, random volcanic blasts as the music approaches its rousing end.

Personnel

Flute

Angela Chinchilla Avalos

Vanessa Gonzalez*

Gizelle Gutierrez

Joanna Sanders

Bryan Santillan Contreras

Oboe

Ava Greer

Isabella Zarate

Bassoon

Bella Amaya

Derrick Shaddox

Clarinet

Diego Romero Vazquez

Giselle Fernando

Rochell Fernando

Aeric Smith

Alto Saxophone

Sophia Romero

Bari Saxophone

Ryan Perkins

Trumpet

Angel Gallegos

Moises Hernandez

Judah Hernandez Medina

Damian Olivares

Joshua Romo

Damian Villegas

Angelo Zuniga

Horn

Brynlee Cox

Camila Degollado Villacres

Jade Guerrero

Jonah Juarez

Jacob Lua

Trombone

Eli Bocanegra*

Isaiah Henderson

Anthony Mata

Nayeli Reyes

Euphonium

Emmanuel Hernandez

Stephen Mata Jr.

Jesiah Quiroa

Tuba

Angel Valle Ruiz

Oscar Vazquez Santillan

Percussion 

Gavin Garrett

Aden Mosley

Damien Pellom

*denotes All-City Band member

Awards & Honors

Individual

All-City & All-Region

2 students earned a chair in the Mesquite All-City Band.

Solo & Ensemble

15 students earned a 1 on their solo. 

2 students earned a 1 with Honors on their solo. 

Angel Valle Ruiz, Tuba

Aden Mosley, Keyboard

All 5 ensembles earned a 1.

Full Band

Earned Excellent Ratings at the Poteet Pre-UIL Contest

Earned the Sweepstakes Award and Straight 1's at the UIL Concert & Sight-Reading Evaluation

Director Awards

Section of the Year

Tubas

Esprit de Corps Award

Angel Valle Ruiz

John Kline Award for Band

Vanessa Gonzalez

HONORS BAND

Conducted by Mike Major

Awards & Honors

Individual

All-City & All-Region

25 students earned a chair in the Mesquite All-City Band.

2 students earned a chair in the All-Region Band.

Solo & Ensemble

43 students earned a 1 on their solo. 

9  students earned a 1 with Honors on their solo. 

Jamari Williams, Clarinet

Eduardo Ruiz, Tenor Sax

Alejandro Raygoza, Horn

Victor Rivera Jr, Horn

Julian Vergara, Horn

Jencarlos Rivera Rodriguez, Euphonium

Edward Duarte, Trombone

Freybin Hernandez, Keyboard

Anthony Rivera, Snare Drum

All 6 ensembles earned a 1.

2 ensembles earned a 1 with Honors.

Trumpets

Horns

Full Band

Earned Straight 1's at the Poteet Pre-UIL Contest

Earned the Sweepstakes Award and Straight 1's at the UIL Concert & Sight-Reading Evaluation

Director Awards

Section of the Year

Alto Saxophones

Esprit de Corps Award

Karla Martinez

Esprit de Corps Award

Nathaly Ortiz

Director's Award for Band

Alejandro Raygoza

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