For six hours on Saturday, April 18, the music department hosted its annual Play-a-Thon — the program’s largest fundraising event of the year — at Washington Park. The pep band, jazz band, orchestra, and vocal jazz ensembles showcased different songs they learned throughout the year. Ensembles took shifts playing, allowing musicians to rest and take breaks throughout the event.
Freshman trumpet player Stanley Hsu said he enjoys playing the pep band music, which consists of well-known pop tunes.
“My favorite part of the Play-a-Thon is just being around my friends while playing fun music,” Hsu said.
The money the event raises is diverted to different areas of the music department, such as going on field trips.
“The Play-a-Thon promotes community, but also helps fund our band and makes sure that we keep doing events like this. It also lets us buy new instruments and fund trips to Disney, for example,” junior Deavon Bradley said.
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The string orchestra took its turn to perform for the community at Washington Park.
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Families came to listen to and enjoy the music.
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Drum Major Oliver Canniffe conducts the pep band during the Play-a-Thon — the music department’s largest fundraiser.
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Wind ensemble and concert band join together to perform as a pep band.
Band members’ families also sold baked goods and held a silent auction with items donated by local businesses.
Senior Oliver Canniffe, one of the two current drum majors for the band, is in charge of choreographing field shows and conducting pep band events. For Canniffe, the best part of the Play-a-Thon is seeing the community come out to watch.
“A lot of the little kids come with their parents, and they’re having a good time. The Play-a-Thon is like a facility for the community to engage together, and it brings a lot of fun, wholesome nature to Burlingame,” Canniffe said.
The Play-a-Thon is an event where the drum minors transition into the leadership role of drum major for the next school year. Drum minor Aiden Vega conducted part of the pep band performances. The other times, Vega performed in the jazz combo, during which Canniffe resumed his drum major duties.
Although the different ensembles spend most of the year practicing in their separate classes, the Play-a-Thon was an opportunity for them to come together and play as a group.
“The Play-a-Thon is kind of like our first time being together,” freshman trumpet player Stanley Hsu said.
