During the holidays, many people rely on the festivities of the season to get in the holiday spirit. For the 2023 Christmas season, teachers and students at Queens Preparatory Academy came together to celebrate the holidays at the Springfield Gardens Winter Concert.
This time around, QPA collaborated with our neighboring school Excelsior Preparatory Academy for the event. The concert took place on Wednesday, December 20, and featured musical pieces performed by bands from both schools.
QPA Music teacher Mr. Benson said he worked with his Modern Band for several months to prepare for the concert. They rehearsed different pieces, different parts for musicians, and stage etiquette. The rough idea was that the program would connect and highlight Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas together at one event. QPA’s Modern band played songs such as “Halloween” by John Carpenter and “Carol of the Bells.”
Additionally, Holiday- related songs weren’t the only ones featured at the event. Songs like “Eye of the Tiger,” “Legion of Merit,” and “September” were also well-received by the audience.
Excelsior’s Advanced Band and their teacher Mr. Lebron performed holiday favorites such as “I’ll be home for Christmas.” Mr. Lebron said that rehearsing with his band was fun and that many people suggested they should do more. He said that “We rehearsed on a daily basis” so that they could perform in the best way possible. He also believes the schools should collaborate more in the future.
QPA Principal Gumbs agrees the schools should work together more. “I believe it is important for us to unify and come together as one campus,” she said.
Many QPA students who participated in the concert found the experience very positive. QPA senior Deborah Taiwo, who plays the piano, said that playing with others at the concert was enjoyable. “Overall, I think the winter concert was good because everyone put in the effort and did their best,” she said.
QPA sophomore Daniel Merceron who also plays the piano, said playing with the band was great because “It almost feels like we’re playing together as one.”
Excelsior musicians David Saint Felix and Savon Phillips were both nervous about performing. Nevertheless, they enjoyed playing for the audience. They also believed that the concert was an amazing collaboration between the two schools.
To wrap up the concert, both schools performed “Just the way you are” by Bruno Mars.
However, despite the positives, it was noticeable that the attendance was on the lower side. Even so, this did not take away from the fact that the concert was a great success. The audience was able to witness two schools at the Springfield Gardens campus perform iconic songs. It was a collaborative effort that unified and entertained the audience just in time for the holidays.
