On Wednesday, April 3rd, The Superintendent’s Concert was held at Catalina High School to celebrate Dr. Trujillo, the Superintendent of Tucson Unified School District. Performances from music teachers around TUSD, high school ensembles, middle school ensembles, and recognition for scholarship winners were some of the exciting sights to see that night. “The Superintendent’s Concert honors our Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo for his unprecedented support of the Arts as an important aspect of our students’ complete education. Tonight, we present the exceptional talents of TUSD’s young musicians and their music teachers,” stated the program for the concert.

The performance started with a percussion ensemble consisting of TUSD teachers as the opener. After the piece was played, the show began, and Mariachi Rayos Del Sol de Tucson High under the direction of Justin Enriquez was introduced. They played Fiesta en Jalisco and El Son del la Vaquilla. The mariachi’s high energy and beautiful sound captured the audience’s attention and put on an outstanding performance.

Followed by a vocal and instrumental jazz ensemble, teachers sang and played Route 66. The coordinating outfits, and the electrifying saxophone solo played by Sabino’s band director Jack Taylor, had the audience cheering. The next performance was Sahuaro’s very own guitar ensemble, directed by Philip Hemmo.

The guitar ensemble played the pieces Pop by York, and Tango by Houghton. Mr. Hemmo said, “The entire concert was really well done. It was a wonderful tribute to the superintendent. I think that all the performances, including guitar orchestra’s were at a very, very high level and it was a really great concert to attend.” Guitar had recently performed this set of songs at Sahuaro’s freshman night, and Mr. Hemmo said they were able to take, “…a little bit more aggressive tempos and we had a real good time, everyone was super positive.” The guitar class can be heard in upper 200 practicing hard, and it showed off in their captivating performance.

Following guitar was a performance from the Mansfeld Middle School Advanced Chorus. They sang Neked Zeng Ez A Dal (This Song is For You) and Fuyu no Yoru (A Winter Night). Being the only middle school ensemble to perform that night, they rocked their show.

The audience’s attention was quickly captured by the various instruments heard around the auditorium. Trombones, a tuba, unique percussion like the cabasa, and more were being played by a brass and percussion ensemble of music teachers. They emerged from the walkways, and even the seats in the audience as they made their way on stage to continue the rest of the song The Peanut Vendor.

A symphonic orchestra made up of music teachers surfaced on stage to perform Fanfare for the Third Planet. This piece was conducted by Michael Oliver, Booth Fickett’s band director. After this performance, it was time to recognize the recipients of the Gilbert Matsushino Band Scholarships, and the Fran Veres String Scholarships, as well as a speech from the man of the hour, Dr. Trujillo.

Two students from Catalina High School received the strings scholarship. A senior from Sabino High School, and Sahuaro’s outstanding Charlotte Bol, received the band scholarship. Charlotte is a passionate senior in Sahuaro’s band program. Charlotte said, “I was really excited. I definitely was really emotional about it because I had tried to write as truly as I possibly could, and when I read the email that said, ‘We were impressed by your writing,’ I was like that was really really cool.” Charlotte wrote about her experiences in band and how after quarantine, she almost quit, but reignited her love for music and has had the best two years of band since.

Dr. Trujillo’s phenomenal speech about music and the importance of music in life had the audience paying the utmost attention to what he had to say. “…But most of all the power of music is what it does for the community. Music is one of the few forces in American society and in life that brings people together. In celebration, sadness, honor…music is what builds community.” This quote is one of the many profound things Dr. Trujillo said that night, and that since 2017, there are 52 more music teachers, and 3 years ago, a 6 million dollar arts package was approved because “…we don’t just believe in talking about the power of music, we believe in showing it with actions and unprecedented support.” He also acknowledged the parents and the music teachers who support the young musicians.

The performance came to an end with two songs performed by the symphonic orchestra and choir, and one by the symphonic orchestra all made up of TUSD music teachers. The symphonic orchestra and choir sang and played Libiamo, La Traviata, and You Raise Me Up. These performances, directed by Matt Holter, sent chills throughout the audience.

Last but not least, the symphonic orchestra made up of music teachers played a march by John Philip Sousa, a staple in the music world, called Black Horse Troop. Not only was this dynamic march a fantastic closer, but this piece was also conducted by Sahuaro’s band director Jack Schmidgall. However, halfway through the piece, Mr. Schmidgall handed the baton over to none other than Dr. Trujillo. Barely having any conducting experience, Dr. Trujillo did a fantastic job conducting the final piece and concluding the concert.

This was a terrific show put on by all of the talented music teachers, students, and everyone else who made this concert happen. A special shout to Mr. Hemmo and Sahuaro’s guitar for putting on a spectacular performance and making our school look good, Charlotte Bol for winning the scholarship with her writing prowess and adoration for music, Mr. Schmidgall, and Ms. Barnes for putting on a great show and doing what you do best – making and sharing music. Sahuaro is lucky to have amazing students and staff who are passionate about music, as well as a superintendent and district who support the arts!