On Thursday, December 12th, the Performing Arts Department showcased its annual PRISM concert, exhibiting students’ talents. Christmas carols were sung, choreographies were executed, and instruments were played, entertaining parents and fellow students alike. This production was carefully crafted through the hard work and drive demonstrated by both the performers and their instructors, who were determined to put on a memorable presentation.
“Preparing for a concert like this requires a lot of coordination and intense training, but in the end, we put on an amazing show for the Titan community,” said the Orchestra Director Mr. Brandon Bangle. “There are many challenges coordinating all the different performing arts disciplines into one big unit. So many that I am not sure I can list them all, but we are lucky to have a great team and administrators here at Olympia who support our students and make these hurdles easy to fix”, he continued upon being asked if difficulties were faced. “But in the end, working together has been a lot of fun and we have done a great job. I’m extremely proud of the students’ work,” Mr. Bangle stated.
Many of the students performing this year were already participating in one of the performing arts fields, such as sophomore Serena Van Baalen. “Personally, being part of the chorus prior to the showcase has been really good. We have such a great director, Mrs. Torres, who really cares about us. So we were set up for success for our past and future concerts. We practiced a lot every day and we even had an eight-hour Saturday rehearsal. It’s been a lot of work but I’m glad it paid off in the end,” Van Baalen stated. “I think some songs were really hard to perform since their level increases based on ours, but we had to understand that all we could do was try our best. I’m hoping that some of the younger members of the audience who wish to start choir were inspired by us. My advice for them and anyone else who wants to try it out would be to put in the work”, Van Baalen added.
Junior Ana Carolina Santos de Jesus, an orchestra member, shared similar thoughts. “It felt really rewarding to see my progress from when I joined orchestra around six years ago to now. I had no idea that I would’ve been that consistent. When it comes to the concert, we’ve been planning for a while. Practicing was really fun since it allowed me and the other members to be part of something bigger since we practiced with the band and chorus. There were challenges of course, but asking for help and practicing a lot has helped me. I simply wanted us all to have fun this year since the whole process can be pretty nerve wracking,” Santos de Jesus claimed. “When it comes to students who wish to be a part of orchestra or any other performing arts group, I would tell them that things can be really confusing at first, which is totally fine. The most important thing is to not give up,” Santos de Jesus explained.
“I hope we were able to show our audience how talented our students are and what they can accomplish when we work hard. I also want them to know how much music and arts in general matter to our students, and how they can make a difference,” Santos de Jesus ended with.
Overall, passionate can be the word used to summarize the thoughts and energy put into the PRISM concert. The final result blended the various abilities of students hoping to touch the audience through their shared love of the arts. Congrats to them and their instructors on an amazing showcase. Titans, don’t hesitate to sign up for a performing arts class next year!
