Music is what gives the world its color. It paints the world with its lyrical symphonies and it’s haunting melodies. It expresses emotions unknown in any other circumstance, and says more than words can say. Tuesday, April 15 was a very colorful night, due to the NESA Cinema and Instrumental Music departments putting on their annual Film Show.
The Film show is an annual show that has been a beloved tradition for many years. It allows students from the different majors to collaborate with one another and foster community. During the show, the musical department put together songs from popular movies like Mulan, Tangled, and Lord of the Rings, and performed them. Behind the musicians was a montage of movie scenes created by the cinema department. Student made films were also played in the intermission between songs.
“I collaborate with kids in cinema all the time but its been different for me to work with someone completely outside of that, and it’s been really exciting and insightful for about how that would be in the professional world,” Iris Underwood said.
A lot of the student films also had original music that had been composed by the composers in the music department, providing another opportunity for collaboration.
“Some cinema majors submitted their films to have music written for it, so we [the composers] have been writing them,” NESA senior Nikko Dunbar said.
This concert was unique in itself due to the participation of LEE Band brass players , and the LEE orchestra students .
Opportunities like this one allow students from all of the different programs to step out of their comfort zones and hone their skills as a musician, cinematographer, composer, or whatever the case may be. It also provided a chance for students to be immersed and exposed to something that is a little different, and broaden their horizons.
“It helps me develop my tone more, and learn what to listen for,” senior trombone player, Darcie Haggerty said. “It also helps me get more exposed to music that isn’t prominent in a classroom. You know you hear it in movies but you never get to really experience that, so having that opportunity is really like yay, and it creates moe love and appreciation for music.”
Mr. Conner Towns was also a big contributor to this performance and how well it went. Trying to communicate and collaborate with four separate groups on campus was not easy, but he stepped up to the task, and navigated the chaos with grace.
“It’s been really cool working with Mr. Towns, his style of directing is very different, and the music has been too,” sophomore trumpet player Luke Leyva said.
There was also a vocal performance from senior Alexis Arismendi of “Mother knows Best” from Tangled, that aptly captured the jovial tune and manipulative language in a stunning and impactful way. There was also an audience participation moment during “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Mulan, where the MCs asked the spectators to sing along with the music.
Since LEE is a combination of four different schools, it’s events like this that really bring the students together, and foster community throughout the different programs.
