High notes were hit during Manual Art’s 2023 Annual Spring Concert! Choir performed many nostalgic and exciting songs that the audience could not get enough of. One of the many highlights of the night was the sing-off with choir, where the bass and treble chorus competed with one another to win an award. Both sides were fierce, showing off great singers like Cassidi Arnold who sang “Please don’t stop the music”, a catchy song by Rihanna. Sarahi Romero sang “Boyfriend” by Avril Lavigne. We applaud Sarahi, who recovered quickly after a technical difficulty. It takes a great singer to be able to not let a mishap get in the way. 

Issac Antonio and Kevin Tiritite who amazed the crowd with his solo on “Shine Bright Like A Diamond.” The young men were hot, but not hot enough to win. Gerado Bello even lifted up his shirt and Issac Antonio flipped on the stage to get the crowd to choose them! But in the end, the crowd chose a clear winner, and the treble chorus beat the bass chorus! You can check out the video below!

After the sing-off, Vocal Ensemble blessed our ears with their beautiful voices. One notable singer was Jackie Copado who sang “Dig Down” by Muse, an uplifting gospel song. We also can’t forget about Giselle Guevara, who not only sang, but also played the trumpet for “Oye” by Sonora Dinamita. Giselle looked so powerful with a trumpet on hand and a beautiful voice. Students even took to the front of the stage to dance to this live music, with the first one being Jonathan Lima. Soon, more started to join, and a cute mini-mosh pit ensued. 

“I especially enjoyed when the boys took out their cellphone flashlights,” said Wendy Jorge, a junior at Manual Arts.

“I enjoyed the choreography of the girls on stage when they danced and sang to ‘Don’t Stop the Music’,” said Diego Rincon, another junior at Manual. 

Along with those notes came musical ones, and the Concert Band & Modern Band’s sound roared through the auditorium. Starting us off was the drumline, with Ismael Simon’s drum skills which amazed everyone. After the drumline, was the Modern Band. Modern Band played many famous rock songs like “Drain You” by Nirvana, “Sextape” by Deftones and “Lonely Day” by System of a Down. 

“Sextape was my favorite because the instruments and vocals went together nicely,” says Gaby Cerna, who was in the audience that night. 

“‘Trace Me Onto You’ was our favorite,” says Maya Pagan, and her friend Azul Mendoza agreed. 

The concert band played songs from movies such as Star Wars, Black Panther and Phantom of the Opera.  Emily Vega, who plays clarinet, said “The day of the concert, we played those songs the best we ever could. My favorite song to play was ‘Phantom of the Opera.’ It was an honor being able to play with the band one last time. I’m proud to say this band became a family that I’ll never forget.” 

Ending off the concert was both choir, band and the audience singing “So Hard”. It was a heartwarming moment to close off the year and a final send off to the graduating class of 2023.

This isn’t the end though! Upcoming events within the music department are Modern Band participating in Grand Art’s Battle of the Bands on May 25th from 5-7pm and Harmony’s Pop Showcase on June 3rd from 4-5 pm. Come show them lots of love and support! 

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