Musicians perform at CSULB Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Honors Festival
January 17, 2023
Ten students attended the CSULB Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Honors Festival from Jan. 6-8. Festival participants learned from professional musicians and performed in a concert at the end of the festival.
During the three days of the festival, students were able to learn in a different environment. Since students were split into smaller groups, the teachers were able to offer more specific help to each student, like giving tips and tricks to practice more efficiently or correcting their technique and posture. “The [teachers] felt a lot more like peers since some of them played the same instrument as [me]. They know certain things that [their instrument] goes through so they can teach me what works and doesn’t work.” — Trumpeter senior Sameer Chowdhury
Although the time constraint of the event meant students had to work faster than they typically did, the teachers helped them through any problems.
“It was really different [from school] because it was a lot more fast-paced, but at the same time, people were a lot more patient. Even if you were struggling, they just really wanted you to succeed,” oboist junior Kenia Hernandez said.
The students’ attitudes towards the event also differed from their normal school practices.
“You can really tell the difference between school band and an honor band because everybody in honor band wants to [be there],” trombonist senior Isaiah Pasaporte said. “Everyone has more desire to practice and play.”
Through all the new experiences at the festival, participants came together to put on a special show in the end.
“The [festival’s concert] was a lot more serious because we were playing with better people. I thought everyone played really well,” cellist junior Nathan Soo said. “It was inspiring playing with people that are a lot better than me from different schools.”
![Junior Alena Herrera (left) and sophomore Carla Alvarez (right) use ChatGPT to brainstorm activites to do with their friends over the weekend. “I feel like [using AI in class] is cheating because you are not getting information that you’ve learned and knowledge you [received] from class,” Herrera said.](https://whshoofprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/9EF85E45-9428-4229-A223-1B7571DA3DDB-1200x800.jpg)
![Jazz Band senior Ken Atsawaamnuaychai plays the song “TMI” by Ralph Ford as a part of the rhytym section. “For my role I have to keep time and keep the groove [of the song],” Atsawaamnuaychai said. “It was fun to get to play in this concert and it was our last concert for the year and my last concert for my high school career.”](https://whshoofprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/MG_8404-600x400.jpg)
![Drama student junior Zaila Johnson (center) interlocks hands with her peers in an energy circle. “In energy circles, when we pass [the energy] around, it’s as if you can feel the energy go through your whole body,” Johnson said. “Traditions like the energy circle empower us because we feel that we have to perform even better after.”](https://whshoofprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/energy-circle-600x400.jpeg)
![Chamber singer junior Braeden Allen Fontejon performs “In Summer” by Josh Gad. “During rehearsals I felt nervous [because] I was constantly busy and on the move,” Fontejon said. “It’s amazing seeing everyone working together. It’s so uplifting to see [the concert] finally coming together.”](https://whshoofprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/choir-583x600.jpg)
