Beginning the week of March 22, Oak Park High School’s band began performing lunchtime concerts in the Pavilion. For each day of the week a different group of musicians have performed, and will continue to perform next week — some of these ensembles being drumline, as well as strings and jazz band.

Featuring different parts of the band, sections Jazz B and Jazz A started the week off on Tuesday. All of the different band ensembles will have a lunch period dedicated to their featured performances. 

“I feel like the lunch concerts are helping make us a part of the daily life at school,” freshman and band member Kiefer Leong said. “Ever since COVID we felt kind of disconnected, but we’re starting to feel like a central program in the school again.”

As OPHS heads back into school life without mandated masks, events where musicians play their instruments live are becoming possible again. These performances have been made available both live to students at lunch and through livestreams for family members at home.

Students in band and students on the receiving end of these concerts have reacted positively. OPHS plans to re-implement events like this in order to stir up schoolwide morale and spirit as the semester continues.

“The concerts have really added some life to typical lunch periods,” junior and observer of these lunch events Hailie Stevens said. “I feel like we’ve become more connected as a school community again and events like this are proving that.”