Ms. Allen currently directs many of the Belmont Hill ensembles, including Orchestra, Middle and Upper School Jazz Bands, and Rock Band. She has worked closely with these groups and made great progress this year– showcased in the Fall Concert, which Ms. Allen deemed “a huge success” for the Jazz Ensembles.
The orchestra will be learning film score music soon (with a live scene). Some more good news for the Jazz Band is that the push for Belmont Hill’s first-ever Jazz Festival in March was approved. When asked about some goals for the Jazz Band, Ms. Allen said, “My focus is on preparing the group to meet our sort of unspoken goal to rock the house at BH Jazz Fest in March!” This Jazz Festival will involve many other New England private schools and possibly some public schools and will take place on Saturday, March 30th.
Furthermore, Ms. Allen says that her favorite part of Upper School Jazz is “the joy we collectively experience in that class. The excitement I see when the band nails a new concept or piece for the first time is one of the best feelings I could ever ask to experience. I truly have so much fun working with them, listening to them, and watching them grow and learn.” Brandon Li ’26, saxophonist and leading soloist in the Jazz Band, said, “I think the energy this year has been great so far. I’m excited to see how the Jazz Festival in March goes.” Her favorite aspects of the orchestra are the wide spectrum of ages and the energy and positivity that the musicians bring– “It’s really amazing to have a setting where the entire spectrum of BH students gets together, especially for something as collaborative as Orchestra.” Ms. Allen hopes to continue to make progress in each ensemble while continuing to help broaden students’ horizons.
