On the rainy evening of Friday, November 22nd at Palo Alto High School, Harmony Ensemble came together for its first Small Ensemble Session (SES) of the year as well as a finale rehearsal and a holiday celebration. Musicians of the Artist Circle and musicians of Preludia worked closely on music and group performance and celebrated the upcoming holidays together.
At the start of the SES, Paly's music room was filled with the lively chatter of Harmony musicians. Students gathered at the front of the room as the Artist Circle musicians sat in rows facing the “stage”, or the vast space with Paly’s signature wooden upright piano. Amongst the new and old members of Harmony was an atmosphere of excitement, a hint of nerves, and a fresh curiosity.
The performing student groups included piano trios, string quartets, and duos. Every group had rehearsed on a weekly basis, working together with the coaches of the program to develop their chamber music skills as an ensemble and as individuals. Now had come the time to bring them onto stage and share them with the rest of Harmony.
The musicians played for the warm and inviting audience of fellow Harmony peers, some members who were people they knew from their childhood, while others were people had only just met for the first time. For this eager audience, each group performed with a remarkable attention to ensemble and a notable effort to give a fine performance.
Fellow Preludia students and Artist Circle musicians gave an animated applause to each group after their final note. After a group bow started a flow of positive feedback and constructive criticism, each participant contributing suggestions on sound, projection, eye contact, movement, communication, musicality, and more. Students eagerly listened and took notes while other listeners built off of each others’ thoughts. Others spoke upon their understanding of the music, as well as their personal knowledge and experience in chamber music — and how this connected with the performers onstage.
The SES was full of countless hilarious moments between musicians, from comedic (but helpful) comments to humorous analogies which further widened Harmony’s imagination. A truly valuable learning experience, with a unique input from every musician present, the session served as a time where all members of Harmony could openly discuss the intricacies of performance and the art of musical and interpersonal collaboration. Every musician had a keen determination to help one another grow and advance, while sharing out their own perspectives and ideas on chamber music.
Towards the end of the SES, Coaches Kate and Vincent went to grab twenty bobas from the Boba Guys close by. Upon their return from their venture was a boba feast before the room was reset for the finale rehearsal.
Harmony’s finale is a longstanding tradition, where all the musicians come together as a large ensemble to perform without a conductor at the end of their performance. It all started with Town with an Ocean View in Harmony’s first concert in the Spring of 2023 — then Castle in the Sky in the Spring of 2024 — then Forrest Gump in the Fall of 2024 — and now, another beautiful piece on its way as the finale of the Winter of 2024-25.
Now that near every musician was present, the 2024-25 Preludia finale large ensemble, so far the largest group in Harmony’s history, rehearsed altogether for the first time. Paly’s music room was filled with the powerful sounds of passion as the youthful musicians read the music together and played joyfully with one another.
After the musical work was Harmony’s holiday party and dinner. With stacks of pizza, multiples of boba, and the strongest energy the group has ever had, the party started with two impromptu rounds of a game before the group proceeded to race each other from one end of a building to the other. After endless sessions of running came those of amusing wrestling matches between anyone who volunteered. Despite the cold weather, amongst cheers of encouragement from all edges of the space, Harmony was embraced with the ambience of delight and unity.
This event really emphasized what lays at the heart of the Harmony community — an urge to discover, to be ambitious, and the promise to uplift and and inspire one another. The community of musicians strengthens through collaborative growth, learning, and teamwork, all through a common goal — a goal to help each other out and develop as musicians and as individuals to reach our own and collective visions in life.
Harmony musicians present: Leo Baker, Blake Bowen, Adrien Boeuf, Kai Bunger-Tang, Felix Chang, Samuel Chen, Maya Angela Cheng, Darwin Collins, Matthew Fang, Michelle Fang, Matthew Hong, Artin Irani, Eileen Lee, Linda Liu, Maryam Mohsin, Kevin Pei, Jesse Spain, Vincent Tsai, Kieu-Vy Van-Dinh, Kate Vo, Tiffany Yiu, Taylor Zhen
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