On Thursday, December 19th, Brooklyn Tech’s Visual and Performing Arts Department hosted its highly anticipated Band Winter Concert, the final show of 2024’s winter concert series. The night showcased talent from nine ensembles: Concert Band, Junior Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, The Quartet, Junior Band (10 & 8), Jazz Band, The Cherries, and Symphonic Band.
Junior Jazz Band, a student-led ensemble, kicked off their performance with the classic jazz tune “Sonny- moon for Two,” conducted by Junior Jazz Co-President Ellisian King (Physics ‘25). They then swung into the holiday rhythm with “Don’t Be A Jerk, It’s Christmas,” conducted and arranged by Junior Jazz Co-President Kenneth Odeyemi (Mechatronics and Robotics ‘25).
Wind Ensemble followed with a rendition of “Emperata Overture,” conducted by Wind Ensemble Co-Presi- dent Shordall Morgan (Applied Mathematics ‘25), and “Nutcracker Remixed,” conducted by Wind Ensemble Co-President Ines Charles (Law and Society ‘25).
One of the evening’s highlights was a performance by the Quartet, featuring Nelson Senhouse (Software Engineering ‘25) on drums, Daven Cole (Mechatronics and Robotics ‘25) on bass, King on guitar, and Peter Gutkovich (Applied Mathematics ‘26) on piano. They performed Vince Guaraldi’s nostalgic “Linus and Lucy,” the main theme of the timeless Charlie Brown specials.
“A couple weeks before the concert, Mr. Withers brought us into his office and played a YouTube video of ‘Linus and Lucy’,” recalled King. “We all instantly knew that it was a good idea.” With only two weeks notice, the Quartet quickly got to work. “We made a group chat to discuss times we would be free to practice in [the band room] when there would be no one else,” Senhouse explained. “We didn’t have much time, but it wasn’t hard to get together. We’ve all been in Jazz Band so we’re fine working together.”
The Quartet also expressed gratitude for Mr. Withers’ guidance. “He oversaw our rehearsals and told us what
works. It wouldn’t be nearly as good without some of his ideas,” said King. Senhouse added, “He wasn’t completely telling us ‘do it this way.’ He would listen to what we originally thought of and would give us advice to make it better rather than taking over. He let us be ourselves and be original, but he made sure it was the best that we could be.”
After intermission, Jazz Band performed “September” by Al McKay and Allie Willis, with a solo by Nicole Lipski (‘27) on tenor saxophone, upholding an upbeat tempo and infectious rhythm.
They also performed the beloved holiday tune “Santa Baby,” opening with a ukulele solo by Beatrix Madell (Physics ‘26). Typically a guitarist, Madell opted for the ukulele for this piece. “If there’s an instrument not a lot of people play, [arrangers] will usually say it can be played on another one,” Madell noted. “I felt if they originally intended it to be played on ukulele and I have access to one, there’s no reason for me not to play it on the ukulele.” Madell traded solos with piccoloist Shordall Morgan (Applied Mathematics ‘25). “The biggest challenge for me was learning to play the piccolo. I only got it a week before the concert,” Morgan said. “Mr. Withers is open to mistakes. He’s encouraging and wants us to play our best.”
Next, “Ya Gotta Try…Harder” featured energetic solos by drummer Milo Kiely-Miller (Law and Society ‘26), bassist Alexei Sanoff (Architecture ‘25), pianist Reuben Sparrow-Blustain (Social Science Research ‘26), trombonist Sowman Choudhury (Physics ‘25), and trombonist Trevor Niewenhuis (Law and Society ‘25).
Jazz Band ended with a bang, playing “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” by Josef Zawinul. They started on a dark stage, with a spotlight travelling across to illuminate drummers Kleo Nelson (Architecture ‘25), Milo Kiely-Miller (Law and Society ‘26), and Senhouse. It then panned to bassist Daven Cole (Mechatronics and Robotics ‘25) before the entire stage lit up, and the band united to deliver the final crescendo.
Following Jazz Band, The Cherries took the spotlight in the pit. Debuting at the 2024 Brooklyn Tech Talent Show, the group featured Annette Leah Reisner (‘27) on vocals, Natsume Odani (Biological Sciences ‘26) on piano, Kleo Nelson (Architecture ‘25) on drums, and Alexei Sanoff (Architecture ‘25) on bass, performing Amy Winehouse’s soulful hit “You Sent Me Flying.” Their concert performance differed from their Talent Show debut.
Originally, Reisner played bass, Monica McShane (Social Science Research ‘26) was on vocals, and Sanoff was not involved. With McShane unavailable, they adjusted roles and modified the arrangement’s speed and solos.
Nelson reflected, “[Mr. Withers] was very laissez-faire. He trusted us as musicians, and he was the one who requested us to play.” Despite scheduling challenges, the group persevered. “We were worried about not having enough rehearsals. At dress rehearsal, it sounded horrible, but we hit one more run-through, and it went well for the concert.”
The group’s collaboration and emphasis on Reisner’s vocals were central to their performance. Sanoff reflected, “this song is structurally different from the music I traditionally play, so it took me a second to get it clocked, but it all worked out.” He added, “It’s not that different playing with a vocalist, really. We arranged it such that the vocals are prominently featured because that’s our big attraction.”
Symphonic Band closed the concert with “Sleigh Ride.” Midway through, Mr. Withers paused to address a student with a broken slapstick. To the audience’s delight, he brought out two enormous six-foot slapsticks, handing them to Zachariah Whitby (Architecture ‘26) and Baylee Luong Tang (‘27).
Mr. Withers shared the story: “One of our students’ grandfathers had built slapsticks for us in the past, so the student sent me an email and said, ‘Don’t be mad, but Grandpa built a six-foot slapstick’ […] so, we decided to work it into the performance in a way that would make the song comedic. We pretended we broke a slapstick on stage, and this was the replacement. It worked out well.”
The concert was a resounding success. As Mr. Withers and his students prepare for the upcoming Spring Concert, they are sure to keep bringing creativity and passion to the stage.
