September 2010
apachepowwow.com
PERFORMING ARTS
9
A (Dummy’s) Guide to Spotting a PA Member Profile Portfolio: Staff Writers
Band: You might see this kid during class or in front of you in the lunch line, to name a few places. Yes, the one tapping his/her heels up and down (aka “marking time”) to a silent beat. Don’t be surprised if you also see his/her head bobbing to the same beat, or if you notice his/her fingers pressing down on invisible instrument keys. It’s a second form of breathing for band kids. On Wednesdays, especially during the band season, it’s easy to spot this PA member donning the oh-so-familiar maroon band shirt—after all, there are only about 300 band kids on campus.
Orchesis: Stay hydrated. That is advice most gym teachers and nutritionists would give to athletes. Even though many people do not take that suggestion to heart, you may occasionally see people carrying huge water bottles, while walking so gracefully it seems like they are practically floating. If the huge water bottles also happen to be beautifully decorated, and their owner is wearing a burgundy v-neck shirt and dark grey hoodie, it probably belongs to a member of Orchesis. Colorguard: As the school year progresses, there will be more students with torn binders and snapped rulers fixed with various types of tape. But amidst all the typical, boring types of Scotch tape, some vividly colored electrical tape might also be spotted. This distinctive tape belongs to none other than a Colorguard member. Electrical tape is a staple for members because it is used to fix all the various pieces of their equipment. Since they have practice from 7:30 a.m. until the end of first period on school days, and from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, you may see them with bags under their eyes from lack of sleep.
Percussion: Tap. Tappity tap. Tappity-taptap-ta-tap. That kid sitting next to you in math might get on your nerves sometimes, with their incessant table tapping and the occasional head-bobbing, but that’s okay— they’re probably in percussion! Need to check? Ask to borrow a calculator or something and if they reach inside their backpack for the calculator and dig up three pairs of drumsticks instead, you’ve got your answer.
Pep Squad: Sometimes in class, a loud, energetic voice might jolt you out of your bored stupor. While looking for the source of that voice, you may see a member of Pep Squad decked out in a cheer uniform, bubbling with enthusiasm. Depending on the members, Pep Squad may carry flags or pom-poms in their AHS duffle bags. With an abundance of school spirit, gymnastic ability, and Advanced Drama Department (ADD): On passion, the the first day of school, there was that one kid with members of a thousand-megawatt smile on his/her face. As the Pep Squad are days passed, his/her range of facial expressions ready to cheer and moods ranged from sad, to absolutely giddy, people on! or to completely nutty. Don’t worry Orchestra: In PE, did you ever notice that one kid’s though, as there’s no need to check strange left hand spasms? Those come from Orchestra memfor bipolarity—these members are bers’ amazing ability to quickly shift from note to just good at what they do! Despite note, string to string on their instruthe random mood swings, they’re ments. If you’re confused, check out all really nice people. Just don’t a video on YouTube and watch the speed be surprised if with which their left hands move. Add this to they’re a bit the fact that many of them practice anywilder than where from an hour to several hours you thought! a day and their seemingly odd left hand spasms will suddenly make sense!
New Spirit: Since the start of school, many students have lost a little of their spirit, but that one girl wearing a pink polo and occasionally a bejeweled, knee-length dress seems to always be smiling. She’s probably in New Spirit, which is not called New Spirit for nothing! Upon getting to know her better, you’ll find she has a sweet voice and an even sweeter personality.
Ms. Chen
We’ve all heard of Waldo, the kid who seems to be addicted to red-and-white-striped clothing and who loves hiding in large crowds all around the country. But in the end, he’s always found because of his not-so-obscure red and white outfit. Like Waldo, the ladies and gents of the performing arts department have their distinguishing characteristics as well. Here are a few tips to help you spot them!
Chanteurs: Though they will not spontaneously burst out into song like the characters from High School Musical, there are other ways to recognize them. Sometimes as you walk by the choir room, you may see people in Chanteurs hoodies. And if they seem to be humming a tune, or making gestures as they mouth words, you have found a member of Chanteurs.
Photos by ELLIOTT LEE and MICHELLE ZHANG, and courtesy of KENNETH YU and RONALD LEE, and graphic courtesy of ALICENSETOTHINK.COM
jwu@apachepowwow.com mzhang@apachepowwow.com
Photo courtesy of ARCADIAMUSIC.ORG
By JASMINE WU & MICHELLE ZHANG
MUSIC MENTOR Ms. Chen smiles brightly as she prepares to start her new duties as Orchestra director. By CHRIS LEE Staff Writer
As the famous inventor Alexander Graham Bell once said, “When one door closes, another opens.” This saying certainly proved true at AHS’ Music Department: When Mr. Rick England transferred to the Choral Department, Ms. Pin Chen, the new Orchestra director, stepped up to take his place and assist our other Orchestra director, Mr. Tom Forbes. However, in addition to directing Orchestra alongside Mr. Forbes, Ms. Chen will also be helping Band at its morning practices with formations and music in its field show. She will be teaching Music Appreciation in the spring as well. Growing up in Irvine, Ms. Chen attended Woodridge High School. She was an outstanding violinist and graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Music degree with Honors in Instrumental and General Music Education. Adding even more to her impressive background, Ms. Chen is also fluent in three different languages: French, Mandarin, and English. With Ms. Chen’s arrival, senior Leslie Chang hopes she will bring a wave of renewal so that Orchestra will “be able to perform more difficult pieces and wow our audiences away.” So far, Leslie has found Ms. Chen’s great enthusiasm for music “contagious,” which makes the experience of “playing her instrument so much more enjoyable.” Senior Kaitlyn Zheng agreed with Leslie, confidently asserting that she believes Ms. Chen truly “has the skills to guide us so that we can expect nothing less than greatness.” Although Ms. Chen may be new to the job, her wide-ranging and remarkable music background implies that she will be a great source of help to many students while they continue to grow as musicians. “Her charismatic personality and approachable demeanor really helps everyone connect with her,” said Kaitlyn. Even Band director Mr. Tom Landes looks forward to Ms. Chen’s contribution to the music program. He stated that her “background as a solid string player will be tremendously beneficial” to the music program. Whatever Ms. Chen may do, Mr. Landes guaranteed that Band and Orchestra will “successfully finish strong this year.” clee@apachepowwow.com
