Instrumental ensembles adopt new leadership system

The Instrumental Music Council (IMC) was established in the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year to allow for more representation of student opinion in the directors’ decision-making process. 

The duties of IMC members include helping with concerts, planning fundraisers and serving as student leaders in the music program. Before this structure, the only leadership positions available were in the marching band during marching season.  

“I think it’s really important for the students to feel like they’re part of making changes within the program,” band director Katelyn Takahashi said. “[IMC] is important for other students to see that their peers are the ones that want to see them be lifted up.” 

IMC is overseen by a president as well as vice presidents representing orchestra, band and jazz band, though members are not defined by their respective titles.

“We sit in a circle for our meetings because I want the [students] to be able to see and talk to everyone, not just face me and talk to me,” Takahashi said. “IMC is about more discussion among the group versus just me or the president talking the whole time.”

IMC is currently coordinating a movie game night, in which the members plan to have board games available and show “The Princess and the Frog” as their first bonding event of the year. They have also planned multiple fundraisers including at Panda Express, Polar Puff Homemade Ice Cream and the recent Mustang Corral Summer Fest. 

“They [were] a great way for the whole IMC team to bond and get close to each other,” president senior Lance Vinculado said. “Planning them helped us communicate well and bounce ideas off of each other [while] still feeling respected.

In fact, these fundraisers have been the source of many favorite memories for IMC advisers and students.

“The Mustang Corral event was really fun because we were all making shaved ice and getting sticky. It was chaotic but in a fun way,” Takahashi said. “All the students were really eager to help, so that was a great experience.”

In the future, IMC plans on organizing more extracurricular events for the music program under student leadership. 

“With this being IMC’s first official year, I [want] to set a standard in terms of what can be achieved by this group,” Vinculado said. “[IMC] will get people more excited to be part of the music program. I am excited for the many fun plans and ideas that we are hoping to execute this year.”