The title of “Final Stretch” can be given to the month of May due to the blur of Advanced Placement (AP) exams, looming finals, and the countdown to summer. As the school year winds down, the Fine Arts Department is ramping up for an array of musical performances, with four concerts packed into 15 days, according to gbs.glenbrook225.org.
Titan Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble performed May 7; Glee Club, Titan Chorus, Premier Chorus, Bel Canto Choir, and Master Singers on May 12; the Freshmen Strings and Glenbrook Symphony Strings on May 14; and Da Capo, Fusion (Solace & Nine), and Scat That A Capella will perform on May 22, according to gbs.glenbrook225.org. This stressful schedule gives a different perspective on the May madness, Choir Director Robert Shellard said.
“I caution the use of ‘burnout’ with performing arts,” Shellard said. “What brings students peace and relaxation may not be what brings it to others. For many, these ensembles are where they explore passions that curricular classes do not offer.”
Fine arts directors like Shellard also face the test of musical and mental endurance. Behind the curtains, the faculty has to manage the logistics of students in multiple music groups and overlapping reheasals. There is a constant stream of communication to avoid students choosing one passion over the other, Shellard said.
“It is a Sudoku puzzle,” Shellard said. “On the director’s side, that means a lot of collaboration.”
Aaron Kaplan, Fine Arts Teacher and Glenbrook Symphony Orchestra Co-Director, echoed this sentiment, noting that while the calendar is dense, it is designed with purpose. Students who audition for multiple groups are choosing the extra rigor, turning their passion into a full-time job during the spring, Kaplan said. While directors assist the students’ prioritization of their responsibilities and help schedule the musical rehearsals, students have to be aware of their commitments, as a lesson in professional responsibility, Kaplan said.
“Our final concerts are always during AP exam week,” Kaplan said. “Our schedule is published a year in advance, helping students understand time management. Knowing when to prioritize homework so they can focus on the music is part of our job.”
For students like junior Lily Fontana, Bel Canto and Chamber Singers member, a schedule that others might view as exhausting was an intentional choice. After closing the Glenbrook Musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, in the role of the stepmother, she has learned that the stage offers a sense of fulfillment that outweighs the fatigue, Fontana said.
“Making music with my friends at rehearsals is one of my favorite things that I have been lucky enough to participate in at South,” Fontana said.