It’s that time of year, our school musical is going to debut this week! Redwood is the only school in Visalia that has live music for their musicals and this year Mr. Ray is in charge! It’s Mr. Ray’s first musical here at Redwood and his first time conducting music for a school musical. Here’s what some musicians have to say.
Mr. Ray said, “[the music] is going really well. I think, with student musicians, it’s always a challenge but they’re handling it really well.” When asked about this being his first musical here at Redwood and playing live music, he said, “It’s definitely a change for me. We usually would hire out, so getting kids to rehearse is different for me. Other than that, the kids are doing a great job and they’re handling the music. And we have rehearsals, I think they’re doing a great job. The scope of a musical being what it is, a lot of tempo changes, key changes, and overall a lot of music that kids aren’t necessarily used to dealing with. So there’s challenges in making sure they know how to navigate the score. I think it’s a really neat process to have an all school musical, it’s what sets Redwood apart from other schools. It makes us unique and I’m happy to be part of that tradition. I think it’s going to be good stuff.”
Jayden Deisman ‘19, said “[practices] are going good. We have practices during Monday mornings and at lunch. It’s my first time in the pit for the musical so I don’t have anything to compare it with. But I enjoy it and I like the music.” Deisman is in all three musical groups. Jazz band, Ensemble, and Advanced band. When asked how this music compared to the regular music they play he stated, “I think the sound track is really jazzy so I enjoy it a lot. I’m a trumpet player and there’s a lot of really good trumpet parts for it.” Deisman was also asked how Mr. Ray’s management is over this, he said, “He’s good. He helps us out a lot, with tuning.” Deisman is nervous but he thinks it will be good.
Jace Jasso, ‘19 is a part Redwood Chamber Orchestra and said, “The rehearsals are going great! I’m not really nervous because the music is easier than most years. The music from the musical is different because it has a more contemporary approach rather than the usual baroque, classical, or romantic music we play in orchestra. Mr. Ray seems to be doing fine under the management of his first musical.”
Dee Davis, ‘19 is a member of the RHS Jazz Band, Marching Band, and Winter Percussion/Drumline and she said, “Rehearsals are going super well. This week we are starting practice in the LJ with the full cast which is always so amazing to watch the show come to life. Even though this is my second year in the pit for the musical, I still get so excited for the real performances. The music for the musical is always much more complex and energetic than normal concert music because there are so few parts and musicians in the pit so it truly is comprised of the greatest musicians on campus. Playing alongside such talented musicians is always a wonderful experience because we all love the music and can grasp its complexity. The music is rigorous because we have the honor of supporting singers- it is much easier to remember that music is a performance when you are in the pit and must convey intense emotion with your playing.”
Davis also added, “I think Mr. Ray is doing a good job managing the pit but there is always going to be a little chaos in a transition year. Because there has been a lot of new relationships being formed between our new director and the drama department- communication has been difficult- between directors and students. I believe that in the future most of these issues will be resolved but am very grateful for all of the directors, including Mr. Ray, being so dedicated to our success.”
Everyone is excited about the annual musical! Go and watch your fellow rangers do what they do best! Show is in the LJ on February 21-22 @7pm, and February 23 @2pm and 7pm.
Tags: drama, highschool, once upon a mattress, res band, rhs drama, rhs orchestra, theater