The district fifth grade band, eighth grade band and high school Wind Ensemble came together to perform in the annual district concert Feb. 26, according to junior Lexi Lee.

According to band teacher Steven Schmitz, the concert is meant to show the younger students and their families how band students can progress throughout their career in the district’s band program.

“The point (of the concert) is to say that we want you to stay in the (band) family and see how good you can get if you stick through it. I think it it effective,” Schmitz said. “I definitely hear positive feedback from it.”

Senior Tommy Guddal said he recalls fond experiences as a younger band student at past district concerts.

“When I was a fifth grader, it was really exciting. It was exciting to play, but it was also exciting to hear the older kids. So to now be the older kid is really cool,” Guddal said. “I just remember being wowed by how they played and now that’s us.”

According to Lee, the district concert also serves as a preview for the band’s annual POPS concert March 6. 

“We play some music that we will be playing at POPS. (The district concert) kind of advertises for POPs. So if people want to hear to rest and see the other high school bands play they can come to POPs,” Lee said.

According to Schmitz, the band students picked animated movies as the theme for this year’s POPS concert.

“This year (the students) picked animations, so we use music from Dreamworks, Disney and Pixar,” Schmitz said. “So it uses animated film music which generally everybody likes.”

Guddal said he likes the POPS concert because of the music and relaxed environment of the concert.

“It’s really great music. The POPs concert is a lot more casual than our other concerts. It makes it a more fun environment,” Guddal said.

According to Schmitz, the POPS concert will take place at 7 p.m. March 6 in the auditorium, preceded by a pizza dinner and jazz band performance at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria.