5th Grade Band, Ensemble to Showcase Skills

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Category: News

Created on Friday, 07 March 2025 15:25

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SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

Fifth-grade band members remember their first steps in learning their new instruments at the beginning of the school year, starting with assembling them and trying to get a sound out.

“When I first tried it I thought it would be smooth - super, super good,” said Caitlin Erler, a first-year flute student, describing the experience of trying out an instrument late last year. “It came out squeaky ... Now it’s much better than when I first played it.”

Keet Gooshi Heen fifth-graders, from left, Caitlin Erler, Malia DeGuzman and Virginia Nettles play flute in the school band room Thursday during an after-school rehearsal. The fifth-grade band "Almost Spring" concert will be held 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Performing Arts Center. The concert is free and open to the public. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

Months and numerous practices later, Caitlin and other first-year band students are feeling more confident and looking forward to their concert next Tuesday at the Performing Arts Center.

The Sentinel visited with the young musicians Wednesday during lunch to talk about the Fifth Grade "Almost Spring" Concert. It will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday and run less than an hour. It's free and open to the public

Susan Brandt-Ferguson is music director at Keet Gooshi Heen, teaching fifth grade band and general music classes for all grades at the school.

Jack Belt plays alto saxophone in the band, and at the Concert also will perform in a breakout combo with fellow sax players Cade Bergman and Nash Malzac.

Jack said when he received his instrument he had no idea how to put it together or how to play it. He didn’t expect it would be as difficult as it turned out to be to get a good sound out of it, but it’s been easier since the beginning, he said.

Andrei Joaquin, who plays clarinet, said his favorite song on the concert program is “Slightly Misty” by Eric Osterling.

"It just sounds good," he said.

Other pieces the full band will play are “Centurion” (Mark Williams), “Musette” " (Bach) and “Mary Ann” (Jamaican Folk Song).

Caitlin said she thinks the audience will enjoy the classic children’s tune “Alouette,” that she'll play with other flute players, Malia DeGuzman and Virginia Nettles.

During the Sentinel visit with kids in the cafeteria, Brayden Swain and Malachi Strong set up their music stands nearby to practice a trumpet piece, “Aura Lee.” After two run-throughs they had it down. When asked, one of the musicians said the knew there was an Elvis Presley version on the song.

The Tuesday performance will be the second of three band concerts for the fifth-graders this school year. The final one is in May.

Kids are practicing three times a week, either as a full band or as an instrument sectional. Brandt-Ferguson was impressed with the number who volunteered for an ensemble piece or solo, since they practice for those on their own during recesses, with occasional short pop-in lessons from Brandt-Ferguson.

“It takes extra commitment, and everyone who signed up in January has stayed with the process,” she said, adding with a laugh, “I’m not sure they understood the commitment they were signing up for.”