Mira Costa Student-Led 'Band Celebration' Promises Fun, Surprises

Feb 26, 2021 11:25AM ● By Jeanne Fratello

The pandemic may have forced the cancellation of Manhattan Beach's annual district-wide music festivals, but that didn't dampen the enthusiasm for Mira Costa High School band students, who created a special online presentation that promises its own brand of fun, hijinks, and surprises.

All community members are welcome to join in for "Behind the Music: A Community Celebration" on Saturday, February 27, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. The program is free but you must register here.

"This Year, We Had to Get Creative"

Traditionally, each school music program - choir, band and orchestra - has an “All District Festival” in February that celebrates the musical accomplishments of students from 4th through 12th grades in each musical arts discipline. But COVID-19 restrictions put the kibosh on those popular annual gatherings this year.

"It goes without saying that this year, we had to get creative," said Andrea Custer, co-president of the Mira Costa Bands and Guard booster program. "For the band program, that meant 'flipping the script' and handing the virtual conductor’s baton over to the students."

The content for the evening is being developed by Costa Band Student Leadership’s Department of Community, and the evening will be emceed by Band Co-Presidents Neal Jha and Parth Badhwar, both Mira Costa seniors.

Mira Costa senior Ethan Nahlinder, a drummer and clarinetist and chair of the band's Department of Community, created and edited the video segments that will appear in the presentation.

"We knew we wanted to foster that sense of community among the district somehow, so we decided that an online Zoom event with different videos and interactive activities would be the perfect way of doing so," said Nahlinder, who is also an award-winning filmmaker. "This is really important for us because being a member of the band really does feel like being a part of a family, and we really want to keep it that way."

Nahlinder continued: "In creating the videos, we knew we wanted to have a variety of styles and edits that would be fun and humorous while keeping a sincere tone throughout. Keeping them different would make sure that the audience would be a little surprised each time and show the character of the bands."

According to Nahlinder, much of the video came from previous footage shot at past concerts, football games, competitions, and festivals. However, some new footage was shot over several days (with proper safety precautions!) for various segments.

For example, the team shot a narrative segment at Polliwog Park, got drone footage at Mira Costa during the Drumline and Color Guard practices, and shot various other segments throughout Manhattan Beach.

They also recorded Zoom interviews with the music faculty to be featured in the videos.

"It was a very satisfying experience to be able to work on this event, as I am passionate about film-making and music-making, and we could not have asked for better people to work with during the production," said Nahlinder, adding, "I am sure the guests at our event will have quite a blast."

Prizes, Dining Discounts Added

In addition to the video, there will be a variety of other attractions. Attendees will be able to play games and win prizes as part of the event itself.

Families who register for the event will be able to enter into the group's After the Music Raffles. Raffle items include donations from corporate sponsors and community partners, Band and Guard families, and even a Band and Guard item or two (featuring the brand new program logos). Links to enter to win each raffle item will be emailed to attendees after the event.

Special dining discounts will be available from Mama D's and Rabanos from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. See the event page for more information.

Furthermore, organizers have set up a Flipgrid just for the Behind the Music event for students to showcase their creativity. The Flipgrid will continue to be available after the event for attendees to enjoy. Content can be uploaded to www.flipgrid.com/behindthemusic.

Donations to the Mira Costa Band and Colorguard groups can be made here.

Band Celebration Behind the Scenes (In-person band photos shot before the pandemic) [21 Images] Click Any Image To Expand