Both Rhythm Section Workshop classes ended the year with the Rhythm Section Workshop Showcase, where students demonstrated the skills they had developed over the course of the class, on Friday, May 1.
Performing arts teacher, Mark Goddu, focused on preparing students to play together as a group. In addition to learning technical and musical skills, students were expected to communicate with one another and take responsibility for the success of each performance.
“The goal of the class is to prepare students to perform together in a musical ensemble in which they are the true leaders,” Goddu said. “While I supervise and run our rehearsals, it is up to the students to work together and rely on each other as they perform since I am not up on stage with them.”
In preparation for the showcase, students spent months practicing both in class and on their own. Guitarist and vocalist Hudson Stone ’30 believes the work, along with Goddu’s help, allowed the class to finish with a result that they were proud of. Guitarist Sam Kolodny ’30 also said she practiced outside of school and spent lunch periods in the weeks before the performance rehearsing with the rest of the band.
For many students, the showcase was an exciting opportunity to perform in front of a live audience. “It’s a really exhilarating environment to play and express yourself, and it’s especially fun to do it with friends I’ve made this school year,” guitarist Knox Yoon ’29 said. “There’s an energy you get from a live audience that you just can’t replicate in a practice room, and feeding off that made the whole experience feel electric.”
Beyond performance, students said the class taught them how important communication was when playing together. “The biggest thing I learned was that a lot of music playing is communication,” Kolodny said. “To be able to understand cues or fix a mistake when you mess up, you have to really listen to the people around you.”
Yoon shared a similar takeaway. “Being in rhythm section means your job isn’t just to play your part, it’s to support everyone else on stage,” Yoon said. “Supporting each other and creating chemistry is really what separates a group of musicians from a band.”
For keyboardist Aydin Hammoudeh ’29, one of the most memorable moments of the showcase came during the final song. “While playing the last song of the showcase, ‘Layla,’ the whole group was in sync, and everything flowed perfectly,” Hammoudeh said. “We were all playing in harmony, and the sound of the crowd clapping was relieving.”
Although Goddu said he preferred for students to perform on their own, he joined them on guitar for one of the songs during the showcase. “I love to get this chance to perform with my students,” Goddu said. “I try to avoid becoming the leader and allow them to maintain control over the music. It’s a nice opportunity for me to connect with the students in a different way than when I am leading their rehearsals.”
The showcase not only highlighted how much students had grown as musicians throughout the year, but also the collaboration and trust it took to perform as a group. Goddu said he hoped students left the experience having fun, learning how to thrive in an ensemble and feeling proud of what they had accomplished.
