Though the Field House is a large space, on Oct. 8 the entire room was overflowing with music and cheering, the result of months of hard work by the music department at Oak Park and River Forest High School.

The event was Huskie Musicfest, a showcase that included performances from the school’s various choirs as well as the orchestra and the band. This annual fall showcase allows students’ parents to see what their children have been working on so far in the school year. Tickets cost $11.20, and all the proceeds went to Applause, the organization that supports OPRF’s performing arts programs.

This year, Huskie Musicfest went off without a hitch. The event began with the concert/symphonic band and the string orchestra at 5:30 p.m. Then at 6:15, eight choral groups took turns performing, beginning with the Chorale and ending with Noteworthy, OPRF’s show choir. Also at 6:15, the Jazz Ensemble performed in the South Cafe.

The Field House performances continued at 7 with the Wind Symphony and the Concert Orchestra, followed by the Wind Ensemble and the Symphony Orchestra at 7:45.

Band concerts were directed by Anthony Svejda and orchestral groups were directed by Patrick Pearson. Vocal groups were directed by Meredith McGuire. In addition, senior Ava Lowell conducted one of the vocal ensembles–her conducting debut.

The audience was primarily made up of the families and friends of students performing, and their support and encouragement was evident throughout the evening. Although students and their families were able to leave when their section was up, meaning the orchestra students could leave before choir went on, and the choir students could leave before band went on, there was never an absence of a great audience or hefty and well-earned applause after each piece performed.

While pulling together a major concert in fewer than three months has its challenges, teachers and students felt prepared. “I think everybody is in really good shape for Huskie Musicfest,” McGuire said before the event.

Huskie Musicfest is the first performance students in the music department at OPRF gather for each year, and in addition to showcasing the first three months of work the students have put in, it also prepares them for their upcoming performances.

For choir students, the next performance comes as soon as the following month. On Nov. 21, they will perform in the annual Fall Choral Concert. Huskie Musicfest provides an opportunity for students to get a feel for performing their piece(s) before a live audience and in a location other than the choir classroom.

Currently, choir is the only music program at OPRF with a November concert, so for band and orchestra students Huskie Musicfest is the only opportunity to perform before Prisms of Winter, the major concert OPRF puts on every year before the holiday season. Prisms of Winter takes place this year Dec. 11, 12 and 13 at 7 p.m.

So especially for band and orchestra students, it is important to have what OPRF sophomore Raymond Janosky, a student in both choir and band, described as, “a very laid back first concert so the others aren’t as scary.”

Concerts are like the music department’s equivalent to finals, so they are mandatory and regarded as important. However, that doesn’t make them less of an exciting event for students to look forward to. Students spend weeks leading up to each concert practicing and perfecting their songs, anxious and exhilarated to display it to their friends and families. Olive Reynolds, an OPRF sophomore in orchestra, stated, “I do feel prepared. I think that all the teachers, especially Mr. Pearson, worked very hard preparing us.”

When asked if she thinks the school should do more fundraiser showcases, Reynolds replied, “Yes, because I think it’s very fun to prepare and also I think it’s really fun when we’re actually doing it, then talking about it afterwards.”