Members of band recently began preparations for a casual, completely student-planned performance, according to band teacher Steve Schmitz.

Schmitz said the concert gives students the opportunity to prepare their own performance.

“(POPS) refers to our concert where lighter, popular music is performed,” Schmitz said. “It’s one of the highlights of the year with students choosing the theme, creating skits, costumes and props.”

According to junior band member Lucas Garcia, POPS provides students with a degree of freedom not found in other band performances.

“POPS is our favorite concert because we get to plan our own music,” Garcia said. “Often we play things that are contemporary.”

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Freshman Ilsa Olson said POPS presents a special degree of artistic freedoms, making the concert a different opportunity for band students.

“I think that it is a cool idea to have a concert like POPS and it gives the students a chance to choose what they want to play,” Olson said.

Schmitz said the POPS concert includes a dinner featuring music from band students.
“There is a 45-minute dinner with pizza and soda in the cafeteria,” Schmitz said. “The entertainment is the jazz ensemble, who work very hard to learn 10-12 pieces for the dinner.”

According to Schmitz, students have yet to determine the date of the concert, but historically the performance takes place on a Monday in the spring.