Sounds of the Season 2024
Written by Joshua Vogel and Anni Lopez
Every December, IAA sets up a multitude of winter-themed events. The dorms put on Christmas-themed house parties, the campus is filled with Christmas music, and Sounds of the Season begins its yearly production. Sounds of the Season is a performance in which the whole school comes together to put on a combined show of acting, dancing, wind symphony, and choral singing. Sounds of the Season is one of the year’s biggest shows, yet many people don't know what goes into making this production.
The Interlochen Times talked to some of the students in Sounds of the Season about the process of preparing for the show. Julian Jimenez-Pardo, a senior percussion major playing the timpani, jingle bells, and snare, has been in Sounds of the Season for the last three years and described how it has evolved and stayed the same throughout his time at IAA.
Julian said, “Although my favorite year was my sophomore year, Sounds of the Season stays around the same each year, and stays fun.” When asked about things that have changed, he mentioned, “This year, we are directed by Mr. Riccobono, while in past years we were directed by Dr. Schlomer. Both directors are great to work with, but they both had different styles of rehearsing.”
A day through a rehearsal usually started with setting up the percussion instruments, putting up music stands, and beginning to warm up. Starting the rehearsal process at 4:30 p.m., the conductor tunes the orchestra before leading the Wind Symphony through the pieces. Mr. Ricabono fine tuning what needs to be fixed. There is much work that the conductor has to do to balance and ensure no section is too quiet or too loud. Then, work is done on the intonation, rhythm, and overall ensemble.
This year, the Wind Symphony will perform classics like “Sleigh Ride,” “Winter Wonderland,” and the new addition of “Charlie Brown Christmas.” The dancers will showcase two excerpts from The Nutcracker, showing off the amazing talent present at IAA. The Academy Choir performs alongside the Wind Symphony, and Dr. Chuang, a well known collaborative pianist at IAA The visual artists don't have an exhibition on Sounds of the Season, but they have a separate art showing.
Sounds of the Season is a beautiful collage of all the arts merging together to display an amazing holiday-themed show. It exemplifies the creativity and collaboration that make Interlochen unique, showcasing the incredible talent and dedication of its students through a celebration of art, music, and community.