The music program has concerts coming up next week on the 10th, 11th, and 12th of December. Director of the music department Mr. Bickel, has been preparing for these events and I asked him a couple of questions leading up to the concerts.
His mood depends on the day leading up to the concerts, stating that it “Depends on the day, lol. Some of our musicians like to wait until the last minute to perfect things and that can cause some anxiety.” His favorite thing about being a music director is him saying, “I love music and I really enjoy sharing my love for music with others. When I see our students develop a passion for music it really inspires me to keep going. My favorite thing about being a music director at DeMatha is working with my music colleagues. I am very fortunate to have colleagues that are not only tremendous musicians but they also push our students and our program to be the very best.”
He gets into the mindset before a concert by listening to “professional recordings of the music we are about to perform and that seems to help me lock in.”
Mr. Bickel plans to do different for this years’ concert than in previous years, expressing “We are always trying to streamline the process– make transitions between groups and pieces more seamless so that the audience can have an enjoyable evening.” Lastly, his favorite Christmas songs are “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming and In the Bleak Midwinter are my favorite church Christmas hymns. Last Christmas- Wham, Mariah Carey’s- All I Want for Christmas and Nat King Cole’s- The Christmas Song are my favorite popular Christmas tunes.”
1/3 of the concerts was last night on the 10th. The next 2 concerts will take place tonight at 7pm at Elizabeth Seton High School and tomorrow night at the convocation center at 7.
