RBHS’s winter band concert took place on its campus this last Wednesday December 17th 2025. The concert consisted of 6 bands from CPS including 8th grade bands from all three middle schools and three bands from RBHS itself.
This winter concert featured RBHS’s Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony, each played with one of the three middle school bands. The first 8th grade band to play was from Jefferson Middle School (JMS), and their director/conductor Jamie Canepa.
“I feel like overall a lot of the kids are just showing a great interest,” Canepa said. “It’s pretty typical, but I’m seeing a lot of growth […] from my students. In ways that sometimes don’t happen in other years. ”
The JMS band performed three songs, Free Spirit Overture by Jerry Williams, Christmas Festival Overture by Richard Saucedo and Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson, arranged by Michael Story. Canepa conducted the JMS Band along with JMS assistant band director, Marc Lewis. There was some underlying stress going onto the concert for Canepa.
“Some of the preparation was feeling a bit rushed over the last couple of weeks,” Canepa said. “I wasn’t confident that we would be as prepared as we were. But I felt like overall, we managed to perform at a pretty high level and with some decent confidence.”
Just after JMS performed, RBHS Concert Band took the stage, they played three songs, High School Cadets by John Philip Sousa arranged by Michael Story, Structures by Roland Barrett and Jingle Jam by Evan VanDoren. Their performance was conducted by Co-Directors Patrick Sullivan and Cooper Smith. A 30 minute intermission later, the John Warner Middle School (JWMS) Band played four songs, Summit March by Harold Bennet, Praeludium and Dance by Robert Sheldon, Destiny Fanfare by Mekel Rogers and Haunted Sleigh Ride arranged by Brian Beck. This band was conducted by JWMS Band Director Josh Myers and Assistant Director Season Higgins.
“Every year we have the privilege of coming up here for our 8th grade concert and [sharing] it with the Rock Bridge bands,” Myers said. “And we really enjoy that because we get a chance to show our 8th grade students kind of what their future can be and what they can sound like when they join forces with the other middle school bands and become a high school band.”
RBHS Symphonic Band was on 4th and they played four songs, The Heritage of Liberty March by Smith, Paceline by Tyler S. Grant, featuring Dr. Tim Howe on Trombone, Toccata for Band by Frank Erickson and Ukrainian Bell Carol arranged by Richard Saucedo. The songs were conducted by Smith, who had Symphonic play one of his own pieces at the concert. 30 minutes later Gentry Middle School (GMS) Band was on stage to play four songs, Above Cloud Nine by Laura Estes, Rites of Tamburo by Robert W. Smith, Fragile by Randall Standridge and Flying Tigers by David Shaffer. The band was conducted by GMS Band Director Amber Blumberg and GMS Assistant Director Season Higgins. Myers claims that performing with a band considered above your level can be stressful for middle schoolers and their directors alike.
“We always try to strive to be our best, whatever that is, and we keep working hard to try to achieve perfection,” Myers said. ”We always fall short of perfection, but we always strive for that, and we end up being great.”
Rounding off the night was RBHS Wind Symphony, who performed five songs, Mother Earth, a Fanfare by David Maslanka, Patapan by Shelley Hanson, Khan by Julie Giroux, Concertino for Trombone by Ferdinand David, featuring Dr. Tim Howe on Trombone and finally Old Scottish Melody by Charles A. Wiley. Conducting the band was Sullivan and Smith.
“Hopefully people enjoyed the performance for what it was, the music,” Canepa said. “But also hopefully [the audience] sees that the students are enjoying themselves playing instruments, [and] that’s something they clearly have put a lot of effort into, can feel proud [of], and [feel as though] […] they did a good job, and […] are playing in a way that communicates the joy of playing their instrument.”
Did you attend this concert? Let us know in the comments down below!
