Piano students added to stellar Winter Concert

The annual Winter Concert on Jan. 14 featured something new this year as three of Kaylee Kelsey’s piano students each performed a holiday song on the keyboard.

Future Hicks played “Silent Night,” and Gideon Singleton performed the Peanuts holiday tune, “Christmas Time is Here.” Gabriela Arteaga, a piano class student, sang “Carol of the Bells,” accompanied by Giana Kall on the piano.

“This is a fun class,” said Kelsey. “They are high schoolers who were never in chorus or never in band. They took this class to learn how to play a new instrument.

“I was so proud of them. I think that empowered the music department and music community, too. They have friends in the chorus and band, and they were all together.”

The concert opened with the seventh and eighth grade band performing selections from Essential Elements, Dennis Eveland’s “Dance of the

Snowmen” and Adrian Sims’ “Moonlight Bliss.”

The high school band followed, opening with Tom Tucker’s “Armed Forces Service Songs” and closing with Robert Smith’s “Encanto.” The band added two holiday favorites, “Jingle Bells” and “Frosty the Snowman,” to its four-song set.

“I thought everyone did fantastic,” said band director Eric Wiener. “I think they had fun. Hopefully for the younger students, they got a positive experience out of it which is so important for getting people to

have that momentum and wanting to come back.”

Wiener praised his high school band for its performance of “Encanto,” which requires a much larger band than the one at Webutuck.

“They did really well,” he said. “Their music is challenging. They worked really hard.”

Michael Johnson, a senior alto saxophone player, added, “I always enjoy playing music with the band. I think we had a couple of good songs that people enjoyed.”