The band program is now in full swing, with its fall concert on Nov. 13 at the West Shore Auditorium and its winter concert on Dec. 5 at the Eau Gallie High School Auditorium. Both concerts featured performances by the beginning, advanced and symphonic bands, while the jazz band performed at the winter concert.

The concerts were held less than one month apart because the Fall Concert fell on a later date this year. This was a result of the high demand for auditorium use.

“Scheduling is always really tough at West Shore because we have so many student groups on campus and the auditorium is home to so many other events,” band director Justin Snively said. “They came up with a short list of dates to choose between, and… I’d rather [the fall concert] be later than earlier because we had more time to prepare.”

Snively said the students were “a lot more prepared” for the winter concert.

“They’ve gone through the experience of the fall concert and I know that their expectations are going to be higher for themselves,” he said. “Since we’ll be at the Eau Gallie [High School] auditorium, it’ll be a much bigger audience, so I think they’re going to step it up.”

Seventh grader Wesley Miller, who plays the horn, said he enjoyed the winter concert because of the larger venue. He also said that “the band did an amazing job” and that it was a “really cool” experience for his second concert.

“It was really great to be at Eau Gallie,” Miller said. “The auditorium was great, it was ginormous, it was fun to be at, fun to perform.”

Freshman and clarinetist Carsyn Hester said, in terms of preparation, the bands were an “eight out of ten.”

“I think it went pretty all right,” Hester said. “It could have been better, but for the time that we had, I think it went pretty well.”

By Sienna Lies