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photo credit: Clifton Public Schools - All-City Band Concert 2022
On March 21st, the All-City Band held its annual concert in the auditorium of Clifton High School, and to say it was a packed house would be an understatement. Nearly every chair in the almost one thousand-seat theater was filled with not only eager friends and family of the musicians but with the musicians themselves who got to take in the other performers while waiting for their turn on stage.
In the Clifton Public School district, the All-City program is designed to highlight the immense talents of musicians from fifth through twelfth grade. Each year, students audition to be a part of the All-City ensemble, a group that combines specifically chosen elementary, middle, and high school students for an annual showcasing performance. All-City is split into two sections: All-City Strings, whose concert was on March 15th, and All-City Band, which graced the stage the following week. While prospective students are obviously chosen based on their musical performance, they are also expected to exhibit a high level of responsibility, work ethic, and tenacity to be admitted into these ensembles.
The concert presented a range of performances in just over an hour beginning with the fifth-graders, led by directors Mr. Steven Nowakowski, Mr. Wes Krygsman, Mr. Ronald Garofalo, and Mrs. Bethany Louie, doing lively pieces such as Samba La Bamba and Voyage of the Dragon Armada. This was followed by the sixth-grade band which is directed by Mr. Daniel Perez and featured a standout performance of Lost Planet, also conducted by Mr. Perez. Last from the middle schools was the combined seventh and eighth-grade band, displaying two striking pieces conducted by the two directors, Mr. Timothy Hayward and Mr. Anthony Lanzerotti Jr.
The clear show-stopper of the night was the Clifton High School Mustang Band and Marching Band directed by none other than Mr. Bryan Stepneski. Their thirty-minute performance began with an exciting entrance from the Mustang Marching Band down the aisles of the auditorium, decked out in full uniform, chanting their usual football season cheers and accompanied by the twirling of the Mustang Majorettes' batons. They ended their section of the concert with an Encanto medley that had many of the children, and a few adults, in the audience releasing thrilled whispers and dancing along in their seats, even attempting to clap along to the beat of the band.
All and all, this concert displayed yet another beautiful aspect of Clifton, the talent that runs deep throughout our public school system. It is events like this that allow the students of the town to shine. Make sure to check out the spring and end-of-year concerts from the ensembles of Clifton Public Schools - especially next year’s All-City!
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To view the live stream and photos of this performance and many more from the schools, check out these links:
Livestream Link: https://www.clifton.k12.nj.us/Page/5050
Photo Gallery: https://www.clifton.k12.nj.us/Page/5049
