6-8 Hold Fall Vocal and Band Concert
By Brianna Rundell
Pierce 6-8 graders performed their fall vocal and band concert on Tuesday, November 4.
The junior high band, directed by Mike Sindt, began the concert with a piece called "Equinox" by Michael Sweeney. After that, the band played "Frogs" by Randal Standridge and "Spongebob Squarepants" arranged by Paul Lavender.
The sixth-grade chorus followed with “Stand by Me”, arranged by Roger Emerson; “Nine Hundred Miles,” arranged by Rollo Dilworth, and “Colonel Bogey’s Grand Old Flag,” arranged by Greg Gilpin.
“Band for grade schoolers provides a healthy activity that can enhance their emotional awareness, provide a non-competitive environment to work with others, and have fun playing different kinds of music. It also opens doors for some great opportunities as they get older. Scientifically, brain scans of individuals playing musical instruments show activity in many parts of the brain that only matches activities like doing very high-level mathematics and playing chess. In fact, during brain surgery, brain surgeons often have musicians play their instruments to check to make sure their brain is working properly. What a great way to fight "brain rot" from overuse of screens, which can sometimes emulate dementia in brain scans. But in the end, band is just a lot of fun,” band director Mike Sindt commented.
Then, the sixth grade band came in with three songs including “Rio Bravo” by Ron Cowherd, “Say What!?” by Eric Snyder, and “Mechanical Monsters” by Randall Standridge.
The concert ended with the junior high choir performing “God Bless America” arranged by Roger Emerson. Their next song was “Happy” arranged by Janet Day and featuring bucket drummers Danicka Lorenzen and Travis Monroe. They ended their performance with “Jailhouse Rock” arranged by Roger Emerson and “Africa” by Toto, also arranged by Emerson.
“Singing helps improve memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills. It also promotes teamwork, discipline, and self-confidence. Choir participation offers a creative outlet that can even reduce stress,” choir director Amy Barnhill said.
