Staff photo/Ian Gleadle
(l-r:) Violists Jessica Birkner, Emily Barker, and Traci VonJouanne, members of the WHS String Ensemble, practice for the Spring Pops Concert which will be held May 22 at 7 p.m. at the Northshore Baptist Church in Bothell. In addition, the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Band and Concert Choir will perform at the annual event.

Eric Lucas, Director of Instrumental Music and Chair of the Performing Arts Department at WHS, promises to get folks in a spring mood, even if the weather doesn’t cooperate. And how might you ask does he intend to keep this promise?

“Just come to our Spring Pops Concert,” responds Lucas, “and I assure you, the music will put you in the mood.”

The production, an annual event for the school, involves 142 students, who are involved in six different performing groups, including the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Band and Concert Choir.

The groups have all been preparing for the concert since early April and they’re excited to have the chance to strut their stuff in front of friends and family.

Lucas explains that performance opportunities such as these are important to the kids. He says, “It gets them into a concert setting that is very different from the traditional concert hall, similar to the way the Boston Pops performs outdoors, or the L.A. Symphony uses the Hollywood Bowl.

“Also, the pops format allows the kids to do some non traditional music that they cannot otherwise perform. For example, the Orchestra is doing a couple of Beatles tunes and both bands are performing movie and/or Broadway music.”

Lucas is very proud of WHS’s music program and comments on the dedication of the students. Most of them are in Advanced Placement and Honors classes and are involved in the school’s theatre program or sports. They have to balance all their activities and be able to find time to study and practice.

“They’re carrying a full load,” he adds, “but they’re very committed to their music.”

Staff photo/Ian Gleadle
This colorful poster announcing the Spring Pops Concert can be seen throughout the Northshore area.

Recently, the Orchestra took second place in its division at the Northwest Orchestra Festival and the Jazz Ensemble also came in second at the Auburn Jazz Festival.

Individually, senior Jonathan Rush earned a third place medal in State for his timpani solo.

Seeing the students’ skills improve over the year and from year to year is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching music for Lucas.

He has seen huge growth, especially with the sophomores who come into the music room in September as new students and then make a huge leap from junior high music to the high school program.

“To see what they do at the end of the year is truly exciting for me.”

And when the students graduate, Lucas hopes that he has helped them develop into lifelong participants of music who aspire to be involved in making music on some level.

He says, “That’s the end goal of the program. I want them to make music and not just be consumers of it.”

Every year, there are always a few graduates that go on and major in music in college, as well as a handful that opt to minor in the subject.

Others pursue different careers, while finding some way to continue to seek out performance opportunities.

For the seniors, the Spring Pops Concert is the last time to perform together for WHS. The event is always a special one for them and their families. Lucas expects several hundred people to come to the production.

He adds, “It’s gotten to be a popular event over the years and we always sell out the floor, but of course we still have room for plenty of people in the balcony.”

The concert will be held at the Northshore Baptist Church in Bothell, where the venue will be set up as a dinner theatre.

Those who purchase floor seating will sit at tables and get beverages and dessert during the performance.

This format, explains Lucas, allows for the incorporation of lighting and video into the concert. And he says, “We can use more than just the stage so that all of the groups are ‘on stage’ and ready to play at all times, unlike a traditional theater that only allows one group on at a time.”

As the director, Lucas finds the responsibility of programming the music for the concert to be challenging, no matter how often he does it.

Usually, when he selects music for a performance, it is focused on one group at a time and the three songs they will play.

For this type of event, however, he has to think about the flow of the whole evening and how it will be affected by the various tunes he chooses.

Lucas encourages the community to come out and support the students and says, “Even if you don’t have kids you know who are performing, come and hear all the great music. We’ve got a great variety of numbers including Broadway hits, Motown favorites, jazz standards, patriotic pieces and familiar classical selections. It’ll be a fun evening!”

A Spring Pops Concert

• May 22nd at 7 p.m
• Northshore Baptist Church Auditorium
• 10301 NE 145th St., Bothell
• $5 General admission seats can be purchased at the door
• For floor seating tickets, call (425) 788-7560