Raider senior musicians, vocalists take a ultimate bow

HAMLET — The sounds of musical scores and harmonious voices crammed the Cole Auditorium Thursday evening for one final time earlier than Richmond Senior Excessive College college students went their separate methods for the summer season throughout the annual spring live performance.

Dad and mom, households, lecturers, workers, and neighborhood leaders loved a night of songs from films and previous classics that highlighted the perfect of Richmond County’s college students.

Edwin Carter, the Richmond Senior Director of Band, mentioned the night was bittersweet.

“The spring live performance is often the hardest live performance as a result of we’ve to say goodbye to our senior musicians who’ve watched and helped this system develop and helped to ascertain new traditions,” he mentioned. “Particularly since this graduating class goes to be the primary group of freshmen that I acquired at Richmond Senior Excessive College.”

Carter and fellow Richmond Senior instructor Lauren Lutz, the Richmond Senior choral music educator, have spent the previous 12 months being the musical dad and mother for the Raiders. Each have been close to tears on the finish of the performances figuring out every helped form younger lives on and off the stage.

“I’m amazed on the quantity of content material and detailed musicianship my college students have gotten below their belt this semester,” Lutz mentioned. “I believe they underestimate how a lot work they’ve put in. I at all times sit up for seeing every scholar react to the second earlier than, throughout, and after the spring present.”

The live performance highlighted the scholar musicians’ culminating efficiency for the 12 months.

“Speak about how proud you might be of the scholars and their accomplishments and progress this 12 months,” Carter mentioned. “I’m very happy with the scholars’ progress concerning not solely their musicianship however their confidence in themselves.”

Carter and Lutz each mentioned there may be one widespread denominator to the success of every group – the scholars’ households.

“As with the rest, the success of the scholars just isn’t on the shoulders of myself or the scholars alone; it’s with the assistance and assist of fogeys/guardians and volunteers that assist the scholars create significant music recollections,” Carter mentioned.

Lutz mentioned the neighborhood was beneficiant throughout refrain fundraisers to assist the scholar musicians journey to competitions to showcase the pleasure of Richmond County.

“It speaks volumes to college students once they see so many photos and movies pop up of their performances on social media,” she mentioned. “There’s an important legacy with each applications, and it’s particular for our college students to see how they’re related to that.

As seniors quickly graduate highschool and transfer on to the following chapter of their lives, the band and vocal ensembles transfer on to create new recollections with new freshmen and a brand new 12 months at Richmond Senior.

Music is way more than performing; it’s a neighborhood of friendships and musical relationships that can stay on to inform tales about their adventures lengthy after graduating highschool.

“I hope that my college students foster a lifelong love for the humanities and perceive that it takes teamwork to construct all the things,” mentioned Carter.

Lutz mentioned she hoped college students proceed their journey lengthy after highschool.

“I hope they’ve the need to maintain pursuing musical neighborhood, and I pray they keep in contact with one another and with me,” she mentioned.

Two seniors who carried out for the final time have been DeMario Hamilton and Leah Squires.

Hamilton, a singer with the Raider Voices since 2019, mentioned he’s been singing since a really younger age and can miss performing along with his associates and Richmond Senior.

“I’ve sung at each efficiency with this group, and I’ll miss being with my associates doing the factor we like to do most – make individuals smile,” he mentioned. “These are a number of the finest individuals to be round. They’ll make you smile, cry, and remind you why you like to sing.”

Squires mentioned her finest good friend Heather obtained her into music within the third grade and hasn’t regarded again.

“I didn’t even know clarinet existed till the sixth grade,” she laughed. “So, I used to be like, I assume I can attempt it.”

Squires will probably be attending the College of North Carolina at Pembroke subsequent 12 months in hopes of starting a brand new journey as a instructor within the close to future.

For now, Squires mentioned she’s going to put the clarinet down and “take a musical relaxation.”

She mentioned she hopes the brand new technology of Raider musicians will fill her seat within the band and proceed that musical magic that occurs throughout each efficiency.

“It’s nerve-wracking and sort of unhappy,” she mentioned earlier than the spring live performance. “I missed many alternatives to carry out within the tenth grade due to the pandemic. It doesn’t really feel actual that that is ending tonight.”

Her recommendation for households is simply to present music a attempt. It’s not a simple journey however a rewarding one.

“It could appear that, at instances, chances are you’ll not get it,” she mentioned concerning the frustrations of studying to play an instrument. “When you preserve making an attempt and making an attempt, you’ll ultimately get it, and it’s one thing you possibly can maintain onto for the remainder of your life. It’s a tremendous feeling to have the ability to make individuals smile by taking part in music.”

That reward was seen on the soccer fields and through live performance performances from sophomore percussionist James Coicou.

Earlier this 12 months, after watching the Raider Marching Band a few instances, he knew he needed to be on the sector. After strolling as much as the band director, he requested how he might be a part of the band. He mentioned he knew he needed to be on that subject.

“Subsequent 12 months, I hope to be on the snare line,” he mentioned. “No, I will probably be taking part in snare for the band. I’m going to work arduous and put within the hours to make Richmond proud.”

Coicou mentioned music is particular to him, and he enjoys watching the response to the music.

“Music means that you can categorical your self any approach with out feeling disrespectful or aggravating anyone,” he mentioned. “The place else can you set your persona into one thing and make individuals smile and neglect the issues taking place round them? The one factor I do know that may do that’s music. It’s why I do it. I wish to impression individuals in a optimistic approach.”

Seniors band members are John Beasley, Terrae Covington, Nicholas Ewing, Rachel Martin, Heather Pike, and Leah Squires.

Senior Raider Voices members are Indhira Bridgelal, Carolina Cline, Nic Ewing, Maggie Gillespie, DeMario Hamilton, Ethan McDonald, Shanieya Morgan, Jonathan Navarro, Josh Nessell, Fanny Radermecker, Naylah Smeigh, and Karen Tilley.