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| Music Tech goes live -- and bluesy |
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"It's nice to have you here," said John DiTomaso, the teacher responsible for organizing both events. "We love and need your support." Once all introductions were made, the show kicked off with one of its few prerecorded songs. Titled "Joey's Blues Remix" and written by junior Joey Lafyatis, it featured a quaint piano arrangement and just a hint of the synthesizers that dominated their first concert. Behind the music stands and instruments were featured photos of both blues artists and artists inspired by blues artists, such as Eric Clapton and The Who. Jan. 21: Musical journey has just begun
After the first track, the live performances began with "Blues (Not Really)," written by senior Graham Rogers, and featuring solos from Ben Matlack, Bart Buurman and Lyle Cadorette on trumpet, alto sax, and alto sax respectively. Next came the classic tune "Come Together" by The Beatles, with Matt Ober singing the unforgettable lyrics. After the first Beatles song of the night, the second prerecorded song, freshman Elsa Donovan performed "Intensely Hued." Amid the laid-back musical tone was the combined footage of fluctuating, colorful graphics and film of a jazz band playing. It was here that DiTomaso had the chance to share in the musical experience with his students by joining them on the keyboard for "Byron's Blues" by junior Byron Johnson. Then, taking a break from his trumpet-filled night, Matlack, a junior, was able to dominate the song "SRV Blues" by junior Sam Mintz with the fierce-sounding presence of his guitar. The Beatles received their second tribute of the night with the prerecorded track of "Taxman," featuring footage of the actual band performing to thousands of screaming fans.
The Music Tech students then took back the spotlight with the intriguing, high-pitched keyboard opening of "Duke's Blues" by junior Zack Zweibel.
Next up were the live renditions of "Jean Genie" and "Space Oddity" written by the glam-filled David Bowie. Appropriately accompanying the retro tunes were the entrancing graphics that were so prevalent in January's concert. The same group of students then performed freshman David Fuller's "Ashley Dance." Giving the audience a break from the music, DiTomaso gave a recap of his classes' efforts: "The advances of technology have made this a lot easier for people without years of musical training." He introduced the next song, "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd. "It's certainly not a blues song, but it is blues influence, which is the theme of the concert." The classic Pink Floyd hit started out very peacefully, with freshman Hanna Nikola on vocals. But once senior Ben Wyner and freshman Erik Lee took the microphones, the stage started rocking. There was no further evidence than junior Zack Zweibel, who power-slid on stage to the point that "[his] knees were killing [him]." The Music Tech program then returned to its own roots with a prerecorded finale called "Turnaround," as DiTomaso played keyboard, accompanied by the night's scarce synthesizers. "This has been very enjoyable for us, and we're very, very happy for how good this has been," he concluded. The writer, in the honors journalism class at Arlington High School, wrote the story and took the photos.
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 13 July 2010 16:23 ) |
Three months after its inaugural concert, the Music Tech program at Arlington High School returned to the Lowe Auditorium on April 8, with "Blues Roots & Modern Sounds." This time, the musicians ventured away from their trademark synthesizers and prerecorded tracks for something new: live performances.
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