Holiday sweaters, the sound of parents chatting, little kids running through the bookcases to the toy section, and Christmas music sung by the choir echoing through the store. It all comes together at Tri M’s annual Christmas Fundraiser hosted at Barnes and Nobles.
Ayla Marvasti, junior and Vice President of Tri M, gave more insight on the club.
“Tri M is a music honor society so anyone in a State High ensemble can join it and we do a lot of volunteering for music events around the school like ushering concerts. It’s very fun and a good community,” Marvasti said.
Every year, the ensembles’ performances at Barnes and Noble are a way for the club to earn money for the State High Music programs. The money goes towards instruments, trips, sheet music, and any other expenses the program needs to cover — ensuring that each individual student doesn’t have to.
“When people show a voucher after they buy something from the store or a drink from the Starbucks, we get a percentage of the sales which is nice. We will also be wrapping gifts for donations which is really fun,” Marvasti said.
The performances at the event included choirs like State High Chamber Singers and Treble Makers and chamber instrument choirs like flute choir, clarinet choir, trombone choir,
and trumpet choir. Student formed bands like the Frazer Street Saxes and a fan favorite Brass Rats also played.
“Brass Rats are always a treat to hear,” senior Bella Pohner said. “I was the manager, I named them and they won’t admit it. In eighth grade I said they should be called the Brass Rats and they thought it was stupid but here we are, so it’s always fun to see them perform.”
Ayla Marvasti seconded the excitement for the event, especially the Brass Rats performance.
“Brass Rats is always very fun to watch and just organizing everything, the festive mood, just seeing everybody and seeing it all come together is very rewarding,” Marvasti said.
The performance took place in the back of the store in the kids section, with the little stage being the center for the music. Many students, parents, family and friends came to the event, with all the seats packed and the rest of the audience standing or dancing around to the Christmas tunes.
Junior Caroline English attended the event. “I decided to come because a lot of my friends are in it and I enjoy the State High music programs and the ensembles performing. I love the festive vibes and the community and seeing all my friends at the event while listening to some fun christmas carols,” English said.
Those singing the carols enjoyed their own performance as well as the others, just as much as the audience.
“I sang with the Chamber Choir and we sang a selection of four songs which were ‘Waissail’, a song about a dreidel, ‘Winter Wonderland’ and ‘Christmas Time is Here’. Then we sang a combined piece with Treble Makers — which is the ninth and tenth grade acapella choir. We sang ‘Rockin Around the Christmas Tree’ and ‘Holly Jolly’,” Poehner said. “’Rockin ‘Around the Christmas Tree’ has always been my favorite, we sing it every single year so I’ve done it since I was a sophomore and it’s been really cool getting to sing it every year.”
It is safe to say that the performances were enjoyed by the audience, especially some of the younger kids, as they sang and danced along with the performers. Many people also got some of their Christmas shopping done, with packed bags in hand, benefiting the music boosters club.
“It’s something we’ve done for a lot of years and the parents’ music boosters organization has done it before. So it’s always pretty exciting and useful,” Marvasti said.
With this year’s fundraiser coming to a close, that doesn’t mean the music has to stop. Many of the school choirs and bands have upcoming Christmas concerts as well as the student run bands such as Brass Rats. The ensemble’s respective social medias and the State High calendar both show any upcoming concerts that the fundraiser helps to support.
