The percussion ensemble from the Clearview Regional district’s high school and middle schools will host a free concert at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at the high school’s Toscano Theater.
The ensemble consists of 50 students from grades seven to 12, according to the district’s Director of Percussion Tom Maioriello. Four of them – Eleanor Race, Liliana Woody, Mara Ruffalo and Annabella Diaz – are in the All-South Jersey Band, which features students from several high schools in the South Jersey area.
“The students are divided into five levels of percussion ensemble that work on a wide variety of percussion arrangements,” said Maioriello.
Featured in the upcoming concert will be the following percussion ensembles: Clearview Wind, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, and Clearview 8th Grade
and 7th Grade.
“The percussion ensemble pieces performed at our concert will range from classical to popular, along with works composed specifically for percussion ensemble,” Maioriello noted. “The arrangements use a wide variety of percussion instruments, including the xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, timpani, drum set and Latin percussion.”
Maioriello – a 1992 graduate of Clearview High – will be the February concert’s conductor. He teaches five levels of percussion ensemble for both the middle and high school.
The concert will be the last major one on the ensemble’s home turf before it performs at the New Jersey Music Educators Association (NJMEA) Conference on Friday, Feb. 23, at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Showtime is 1:15 p.m.
“Along with being excited about this year’s concert on Feb. 13,” said Maioriello, “we are also honored to be performing at the NJMEA Conference on Feb. 23. We were accepted to perform at the conference by submitting recordings of last year’s concert.”
The next Clearview district music concert will be the a night of jazz at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the middle school. It will feature the school’s jazz band as well as the high school’s jazz and lab bands.
“We are back in school in the new year,” noted the Clearview bands on Facebook. “The Clearview band program has plenty of performances coming up, both on and off campus. We hope that you can join us for some amazing music making by our fantastic students and wonderful ensembles.”