On  Oct. 15, a silent crowd listened as the Wind Ensemble performed Complex 2030. This was the scene in the East Gym at the Huskie Music fest, a fundraiser in which the OPRF band, orchestra, and choir program performed.

The fundraiser was organized by the booster club for the OPRF performing arts, Applause. All proceeds went to Applause, to be divided up among the band, orchestra, and choir programs.

Huskie Music Fest is one of four fundraisers Applause has annually; however, it is the only fundraiser in which the OPRF music programs perform.

Band director Anthony Svejda said his favorite part of the night “is the fact that you could be in either of the two venues at any one given time… You could catch some amazing music, and it’s all kinds of music.”

The Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, and Jazz Ensemble, who all performed, have been preparing  daily since the beginning of September, and Svejda thinks they have improved. “When you first start it, it’s a mess,” Svejda said. “For us that’s (growth) easy to see. For a general ed teacher, it’s hard to see that.” Svejda was also impressed by the wind ensemble’s performance, “They (wind ensemble) have tremendous musicians. They can do amazing thin

Since this is the first performance of the year for all three programs, they use this performance as a gage for what they need to work on.

“We do what we call a review and self assessment after the concert,” Svejda said, “We talk about what do they see worked well, what do they see didn’t, and why.”

Overall, Svejda thought the band performance went well, however he thought it would have been better if his students practiced outside the classroom more often. In the choir performance, the bass ensemble, chorale choir, creble choir, chamber singers, and ACappella group all performed.

Director Meredith McGuire thought the performance went very well, especially considering it was their first performance this year. McGuire thinks Huskie Music Fest was a good experience for her choirs. “What I think is really good for them, especially the younger choirs, they get to hear the older choirs, so they get to hear what the goal is.”

As for the Orchestra part of the fundraiser, director Patrick Pearson enjoyed the show and thought it went well.w “I like it when my kids perform because they’re at their best when they are performing.”