Student R&B Band Draws a Crowd
The R&B band rocks out in the courtyard after school.
Did you hear those funky sounds coming from the front entrance after school on Thursday? Those were brought to you by the Apple Valley High R&B Band, a performing arts ensemble in its second year that combines forces of both the instrumental and vocal music programs.
The idea for an R&B band was brought to Apple Valley by instrumental music teacher Mr. David Scalise, who is also in his second year working at AVHS. Mr. Scalise had started a similar ensemble at his previous teaching job at a high school in Ohio and was excited about the possibility of bringing it to AVHS.
When asked why he wanted to start a group like this, Scalise said, “Because I am a fan of classic soul music and I really enjoy arranging and rehearsing this music, which is often under-represented in traditional music education programs.”
This year, auditions for the band were held in March, with rehearsals running throughout April and May. The band performs music by Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5, Bruno Mars, Otis Redding, Amy Winehouse, and more, with many of the arrangements written by Mr. Scalise himself. Because the band has a full rhythm and horn section as well as a cadre of singers, many of the arrangements can be performed in styles true to the original recordings.
Dajontae Lenear takes over on lead vocals.
One of the main ideas behind the band is to act as ‘musical ambassadors’ for Apple Valley High School by bringing high-quality musical entertainment out into the greater Apple Valley and Twin Cities community. Consisting of nineteen members and two technical crew, the group is small enough to be mobile and take its act on the road.
They have succeeded in doing just that, already performing at the spring carnivals for both Westview and Greeleaf Elementary Schools. Soon, they will also perform at events at Echo Park Elementary and Valley Middle School of STEM.
But the group hasn’t just been noticed by other schools in ISD 196; they will also perform at several other public venues throughout the month of June. They have been invited to perform at Icehouse MPLS, the Apple Valley Arts Foundation’s “Music in Kelley Park” series, the Eagan “Market Fest”, and, impressively, the Twin Cities Jazz Festival.
The Apple Valley High R&B Band hopes to see you at one of their performances coming up soon! Check out the performance calendar below and thanks to all those who have already turned up to see them in action.
Upcoming Performances
Thursday, June 2nd, 5:00pm, Echo Park Elementary Ice Cream Social
Friday, June 3rd, 1:00pm, Valley Middle School of STEM Citizen Scholars Ceremony
Friday, June 3rd, 6:00pm, Music in Kelley Park series, Kelley Park, Apple Valley
Monday, June 13th, 7:00pm, Icehouse MPLS
Wednesday, June 22nd, 4:00pm, Eagan MarketFest, Central Park, Eagan
Saturday, June 25th, 2:00pm, Education Stage at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival
