It is almost time for Christmas, which means all sorts of winter activities have commenced. This includes North Arlington’s Winter Concert! Anyone who has been to one of these concerts knows what it is like as an audience member. However, being part of the audience does not show you the experience on the other side of the stage. How do the players feel as they perform?

Some players in the high school band might have already performed in the winter concert one, two, or even three times before, yet each experience is just as exciting and delightful as the first. At first, the show can feel a bit daunting. It is not uncommon to feel a swarm of butterflies in your stomach before the show, even when you have practiced for numerous weeks. However, it feels great to play something you have worked so hard on, and definitely enjoyable to hear the applause at the end of the performance.

This year was the first year in a long time that Mr. Kastner has had a group of strings. The string ensemble made its debut at the winter concert. There are four violinists, and a double bassist. The ensemble was nervous because this was our first performance, and we wanted to make it good. We put in our best effort, and the outcome was amazing. We could not have done it without Mr. Kastner!