PUKALANI – This year’s Winter Concert will exhibit the exciting sounds of Kamehameha Schools Maui’s high school concert band and pop rock band. The free concert will be held on Dec. 7, in Keōpūolani Hale at 6:30 p.m.

During the estimated hour-long concert, students will play Christmas songs such as Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Merry Christmas, Darling.

Senior and third-year band student Kalani Tanouye looks forward to playing his instrument, the bongo drums, at the concert. “We practice playing the songs over and over again ‘til we get them right,” he said.

They have been preparing for the concert for the entire semester. “We spend a lot of hours learning the music, learning how to play, and also how it’s supposed to sound,” Band Teacher Siuai Laufou said.

Audience members should expect a broad range of music genres.

First-year band student Carolynn Krueger said she looks forward to working with the pop rock band the most. “I want to see how our [concert] band sounds with them added into the mix,” she said.

The concert performance will play a major part in the students’ grade. “It is similar to sports, you practice all week, then [there’s] the game at the end,” Mr. Laufou said.

He hopes that they will not only take advantage of the experience to perform in front of a live audience of family members, peers and staff, but also learn to appreciate “good music,” he said.

He said that seeing the students have the opportunity to perform is rewarding. “I look forward to this because the ultimate goal is to prepare and be able to hear the music played the way it’s supposed to be. From past experiences, band students will become more confident and feel better about their selves in playing after hearing a good performance.”

The two band classes will continue to practice after the Winter Concert for upcoming events such as the annual Band-O-Rama in the spring and the graduation ceremony at the end of the year.

“I’m still contemplating on our concert band performing at the Maui District Band Festival,” Mr. Laufou said.

Other future performances at Ka’ahumanu Shopping Center and Maui Mall are also still to be determined.

In the meantime, the classes are primarily focusing on preparing for the jazzed-up Christmas sounds of the annual Winter Concert.

“I’m excited to put on a show,” senior and 4-year band student Shane Clark said.