On Tuesday, February 13, the Hill School Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra performed at The Wyndcroft School and Saint Aloysius Catholic School. The jazz band and orchestra visit these schools every year to perform. These performances serve to provide the children with entertainment and knowledge.

“The main goal in the trip was not only to perform, but to also teach the children about music and increase interest while encouraging children to pick up an instrument,” Larry Lo ’18, Jazz Ensemble co-president said.

The jazz band and orchestra played a variety of songs—some were selections from previous concerts, and some are to be performed at the spring concert.

In between each piece, a Hill musician explained a different aspect of music. After each group played through their pieces, the children were invited to experiment with different percussion instruments.

“It was such a great opportunity,” Maxwell Robertson ‘21,  jazz percussionist said. “I wish I was introduced to music earlier, so I’d be further along right now in my instrument. Teaching the children and giving them an early introduction to different types of music and instruments felt really good.”

Nethmin Liyanage ‘20, a clarinet player in the orchestra, thinks it was nice to leave campus and share music to a different audience.

“We normally play for people who have already seen orchestras and have preconceptions about music, so it was different playing for a fresh audience,” Liyanage said. “We probably were the first orchestra they had ever seen perform.”

The overall aura of the day was relaxed and lighthearted as the Hill music groups played to teach and inspire rather than impress.