December 9, 2025

Hughson Schools' Winter Concert season kicked off this week on Tuesday, December 9, with the High School Jazz Band, combined Concert and Symphonic Bands, and Sound Investment and Choir performing at 6:30 p.m.

The house was packed in the Ella Webb Theater at Hughson High School. This performance followed two other performances from the high school for Hughson elementary students on Monday and Tuesday mornings. Over 1,000 attendees have enjoyed the show.

The Winter Concert made a fun mix of contrasting genres and styles with no shortage of holiday-themed pieces. It included a traditional sing-along led by the band and choir.

Music Director Katye Maki selected the repertoire, collaborating with students and former choir director Brad Thompson. One piece, selected by Maki, for choir was inspired by her roots singing gospel with my family growing up: a gospel arrangement of the Hallelujah from Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration.

With relatively small groups, Stella Brown, Silah Leazar and Haylee Utz have all learned to play the trombone to help fill out our low brass section. Other students doubling up on two instruments are Noah Montano and Trinity Hilton.

During the concert, Franky Uribe (trumpet), Uriel Mendoza (tenor saxophone), and John McKee (trumpet) are all performing solos in a jazz band. “I honestly am so impressed with so many of our students this year,” said Maki.

Hughson High School students continue to excel. From the band, flutists Noeli Gomez-Orozco and Leah Ballard have both auditioned for and earned a spot in the Stanislaus County Honor Band. From Sound Investment, Leah Ballard and Ava Reynolds auditioned and were accepted into the Stanislaus County Honor Choir.

The Hughson High School music curriculum presents unique forms, styles, and genres requiring specific skills for students to master, using contrasting styles to increase learning opportunities for students. With a dedicated period during the school day for Jazz Band this semester, Maki has seen a lot of growth in the students who participate. Finishing her first semester working with Sound Investment, now up to 40 students, Maki said, “I am having a blast with these amazing students!”

Tuesday concerts featured student favorites: the Jazz Band's Earth, Wind, and Fire Dance Mix; the Concert & Symphonic Band's Nightmare Before Christmas; and Sound Investment's Hallelujah from Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration.

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On Thursday, Hughson Elementary School will perform.

First up is Hughson Elementary School at 6 p.m. on December 11.

These youngsters from TK to Third grades will each sing with their classes two to three songs. Music Teacher James Jacobs sought to build a repertoire of songs that the students performed in the past, and seasonal favorites.

That includes an Old Roger Miller Song, “Old Toy Train,” and a song by Raffi.

With Mrs. Hatch’s help, the performance will also include ASL movements to some of the songs. “It's so cool to see the kids really get on board with the singing and doing the sign language with it.”

Along with getting a sense of beat, learning to stay together and concert etiquette, Jacobs has worked specifically on partner singing with the third grade. “Partner singing allows them to really know their music, to know their notes while singing on top of another group singing another song,” he said. At Thursday’s concert, the students will partner sing Happy Winter with Frosty the Snowman.

At the concert, attendees will be treated to an evening of students enjoying themselves and learning to love singing. “We’ll have students doing hand motions, singing fun songs. TK will sing Rudolph to third grade, see the progression of musicianship along the way and sing some beautiful songs together, some with hand motions and songs with surprise instruments for one grade level.”

The semester has been one of seeing the children grow together as a group. “I’m very impressed with what they have been doing as a group,” Jacobs said.

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Fox Road Elementary Winter Concert is December 16.

On December 16, Fox Road Elementary School and Ross Middle School will perform. The Fifth and Sixth grade band will be on at 6 p.m. and Ross Middle School at 7 p.m.

At Fox Road, Jacobs teaches a weekly choral music class on campus for anyone who would like to participate. About sixty students are in the class. Like the Hughson Elementary students, Jacobs is working on partner singing. In addition to teaching the students to know their music with confidence, this technique will also pave the way to singing in parts.

In preparing for the concert, the focus has been to help the children get excited about singing and performing on stage. “That first concert, you’re really scared. Once you feel what it's like to perform, it’s like, oh my gosh, I want to do this again,” he explained. “There’s this joy that comes in.”

Fox Road Elementary students' favorites like “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars and “Cold Snap.” They’ll go all out with a warm-up song called “Dub Dub,” and move through the concert from singing in unison to partner song.

As the fall semester comes to a close, Jacobs is particularly proud of the fifth graders, “their involvement in the choir is really self-driven. At the beginning of the year, we didn't have many 5th graders join the choir due to band classes that would conflict. But the students asked and respectfully requested to be able to join the choir along with the band, and now we have a good number of 5th graders in the choir.”

That excitement is what makes choir fun. After a challenging rehearsal singing in three groups, when the song concluded, “the whole choir erupted in cheer, because they accomplished it, and succeeded.”

The 6 p.m. Winter Concert will include Fox Road Elementary School Choir, Band and RMS Cadet Band.

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With Ross Middle School to follow at 7 p.m.

At 7 p.m. Ross Middle School Intermediate, Advanced and Jazz Band will perform. The selection will include instrumental music with holiday favorites from each group, selected by director Michell Beck. In developing the program, Beck considers “student interest, thematic appropriateness, stylistic contrast with other pieces, and progressive standards-based difficulty to provide an appropriate challenge and learning experience.”

This semester, Beck has seen an impressive array of talent and dedication from his students. “The students are always excited to play music they’re interested in,” he said, and so knowing this, he surveys students on possible concert repertoire, taking their input to heart. “Students always grow much more quickly when they’re motivated to practice music. They are always most motivated when they’re playing music they know and like.”

The concerts will include classics like “Hot Cross Buns” for 5th grade, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” for Advanced Band, and contemporary arrangements of holiday music such as Christmas medleys, “Dona Nobis Pacem,” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”