Over the weekend, Falls Music Center became the stage for three performances from the Music Department’s ensembles and programs: the Academy Bands, the Chamber Music Society, and the Jazz Band. These performances not only demonstrated the talent of student-musicians but also signaled the music building’s potential to shape future musical endeavors.
On Friday, the Academy Bands Concert featured performances from the Tuesday Band led by Peter Cirelli and the Thursday Band led by Ray Daniels. As the director, Daniels explained the inspirations behind the chosen pieces and the atmosphere at the concert.
“It’s February [and] it’s Black History Month, and I did want to do something, and this piece “Of Our New Day Begun” was the choice. This music was not easy, and that’s partly the reason we played it. I thought the ensemble did an amazing job. The energy was there. The audience really received it well and I feel like [we did] all of my goals of being an artist, an educator, and serving my audience,” said Daniels.
Brandon Fu ’25, the principal clarinetist of Thursday Band, reflected on the group’s first performance in the new building, detailing the preparation and rehearsal process.
“We clicked as a unit. It was a really strong performance and overall very enjoyable. It’s also the first large music department ensemble performance in Falls, which was a phenomenal experience. We have about seven or eight rehearsals per term, and we just play music for an hour and a half. We volunteer to do it at the beginning of the year, and it’s just something that we love to do as a group,” said Fu.
On Saturday, the Andover Chamber Society hosted two performances featuring the variety of small ensembles that have been working together for the last term. Holly Barnes, the director of the program, discussed the range in genres and styles demonstrated in the performances.
“When I choose repertoire, I choose something that will challenge the players, but also something they can accomplish in eight weeks, because that’s how many coachings they get. And then I try to think about the program, to have very different genres, so it was good to have some contemporary music, which we had at this concert, so we’re not listening to all the same composers. Everybody was really well-prepared, and it was great,” said Barnes.
Many performers appreciated both the final performance, and the learning process behind it. Niccolo Lee-Suk ’28 described the importance of nonverbal communication in a chamber group that allowed for different parts to seamlessly blend together.
“I was part of a piano trio with William Ge [’25] and Bruce Ru [’28]. We performed the Mendelsohn piano trio in C minor, second movement. Communicating with the group without words, you have to sort of make eye contact, and I think since we’re all very passionate musicians, we sort of get lost in the music, and kind of forget to look at each other.”
On Sunday, the Academy Jazz Bands featured both smaller ensembles and a larger band. Cirelli praised the group’s ability to adapt to new pieces and sounds, the result of hard work across the term.
“This was our first time performing in this new concert hall with the band, so we had to get accustomed to that a little bit, but overall we really like it here. We could hear each other very well, and I thought that the performance went well. Some places are more live than other places on stage, so some instruments playing in their normal way sounded louder than other instruments playing in their normal way. So we’re getting accustomed to that, but that’s all part of the learning process,” said Cirelli.
For many performers, rehearsals were more than repetitive lines. According to musician Anny Wang ’26, they fostered community, creating an environment where everyone could bond over the music. Wang shared her personal experience with the Jazz band community, reflecting on her friendships that contributed to the fulfilling experience.
“I really like the tunes that we played today, especially Snake, which was the last one, and I think that the Jazz band community is very close, and we’re all good friends, so it’s good vibes. I’d say for our small jazz band, we really came together strong at the end. We had some new members join, [so] we were not very close together at the start, but then we were all able to deliver the dynamics and music content all together. So that’s the rewarding part,” said Wang.
