Organized by the Director of Sustainability Shelley Flint, the 2022-23 Garden Fair included performers on stilts, carnival games, assorted foods, an instrument "petting zoo", and plenty of music!
Among the many musical talents on display this year, SD's Upper School Band Workshop 2022-23 performed their very first show of the year and wowed audiences with their renditions of classic R&B and rock tunes by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, and The Pixies. In addition, members of Corduroy Visual, SD's Upper School Band from 2021-22, made a guest appearance for a thrilling set of their own, playing music by Bruno Mars, Bill Withers, Weezer, and even an original by lead-singer Zoe M. ’22. The two groups were met with welcomed applause and incredible feedback from members of the SD community—in short, the bands rocked their socks off!
“The Garden Fair was a perfect opportunity for our new Band Workshop students to cut their teeth at performing. The environment was warm, welcoming, relaxed, and also a literal marketplace of ideas and community enrichment,” commented Ari Giancaterino, instructor of Contemporary Music and SD Upper School Band Workshops. He emphasized the importance of experiences like these for the musical development of our students, saying “I was so impressed with their focus and determination to put on the best show they could—and wow did they deliver! The band was well rehearsed for performances like this, but it was a first for many reasons. While many of our students have previous individual performance experience, not all of them have performed in the context of an ensemble. And certainly, this was the first time they had all performed in front of the SD community and for an audience. The band was so grateful for the incredible audience response, and I could see a real shift in our students' attitudes about the work they put in. The support of the SD community at the Garden Fair proved to our students that their efforts amount to an incredible experience for everyone. I was, and I am, always grateful to be a witness to these student experiences!”
Mr. G also spoke on Corduroy Visual's performance, saying, “I am so grateful and impressed by the members of Corduroy Visual for returning to SD and donating their time and talent to our community. We are building a legacy of music here at SD, and their work is building the foundation for future members.”
Thank you to Viktoriya Wise for the video footage of the performance.