Manta Ray band conductor William DeWitt said the amphitheater was quite full.
“The audience did not mind the heat when we started, and no one complained of the darkness later when the park lighting did not work,” DeWitt said.
He said three bands from SSHS performed during the event.
Fifty intermediate students with one year of playing experience performed under the direction of a student conductor, Joe Ray Delacruz, a senior member of the Manta Band.
The advanced band with 30 members and about two years playing experience performed under the direction of another student conductor, Joesph Jang, a junior member of the Manta Band.
The Manta Band, which is composed of 40 members won silver at a Carnegie Hall competition last month performed under DeWitt’s direction.
“The Manta Ray Band members also performed under a special friend, mentor and guest conductor Maestro Atsushi Ozawa from Japan,” DeWitt said.
The audience got a chance to hear the Manta Ray Band perform their New York City repertoire and some new selections as well, including the music from the latest “Shrek” movie.
The concert at American Memorial Park was Manta Ray Band members’ way of expressing their thanks for the support they got from the community in helping them come up with funds for the Carnegie Hall trip last month
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