Elementary students from Catholic schools across the city gathered in the Pius X LPAC to perform the winter band concert.

Band is an activity that brings all the schools together.

“Band helps prepare us for high school band so that we’ll get to know the people in our sections before we get to Pius,” 7th grade St. Teresa’s student DJ Meyer stated.

Students play a variety of instruments, including the clarinet, the baritone and percussion.

“I play the saxophone because it seemed fun, and I wanted to put myself to a challenge,” 7th grader Paul Johnson stated. “When I saw people playing it, I thought it looked awesome.”

The show started with a prelude consisting of small student groups performing different songs.

“The students have been working hard on these prelude groups, and some of them were thrown together at the last minute, but they still did amazing,” elementary school band teacher Melissa King stated.

Students performed a variety of songs including “The Little Drummer Boy” by the 6th-8th grade band and “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas” by the 5th grade band. Some of the songs had solos and special parts for individual sections.

“My favorite song to play is ‘Celtic Bell Carol’ because I have a solo in it and there’s lots of fast notes,” Johnson stated.

Band matters to the students and their teacher because it allows students to be a part of a group and lets them preview Pius X before they get to Pius X.