The POPS! concert was held at St. Louis High School May 14, 2024, where the high school jazz, concert, and steel bands all showcased their hard work.
The POPS! concert is a fun concert for the performers and audience alike, as the music is all popular songs that the audience can sing along and rock out to. This concert is usually a favorite for many of the performers, and this year was no exception. That night, the seniors experienced their last concert performance of their high school careers. In fact, passionate performer and senior Olivia Good said, “It was really bittersweet. It was sad, but I know it’s kind of the end of an era, and I’m ready to start the new chapter of my life. I will always remember the memories this band has given me.”
The Jazz band played the songs “Theme from Family Guy,” “Theme from Shaft,” and “Pinball Wizard.” The concert band performed “Best of the Boy Bands,” “Fireflies,” and “Barbie’s World.” The steel bands also played “Creep,” “Michael Jackson Medley,” “Enter Sandman,” and “Fit For a Straight Jacket”
There were also a number of awards given out that night to the band’s most dedicated performers. The “Outstanding Freshman” award went to Bella Patterson. The sophomore award went to Skylar DuBois-Kleinhans, and the two awards for junior band members went to Rebekah Ross and Kaya Munoz. There were also a few awards given to senior band members at the Evening of Excellence the previous week, but the award recipients were recognized again at the concert. The senior recipients were Liv Good, Hannah Bobzein, Tori Patterson, Lilly Massaway, and Rachel Jewell. The senior band members also gave an award to Mr. Lawhorne for being the “Best Band Director.”
The jazz band will be playing at Schnepps May 16, and the steel bands will be performing in downtown Ithaca May 17, as well as the Highland Festival Parade May 25.
