Although written during the date provided, this article was republished during 2020 by Nicolas Gorman to put it on the website. The author is unknown.

After the Harry Potter-themed Playathon last fall, band held the last concert of the year last week. The Spring Concert does not have a special theme like the Playathon, however, it carries a special meaning to those who are seniors in the program. The Spring Concert essentially provides band seniors with closure. Towards the end of the program, after all of the bands, from PM to AM and Intermediate to Honors performed, the all-play took place, where the entire program plays together, regardless of level, one more time before the seniors leave. In between the all-play songs, Mr. Murray and Mr. Kiesner announced the names of the seniors in band, as well as the number of semesters the student participated in band, some had just a few, while others had taken at least two band classes, per semester, for all four years.
Whitney Hollister, a senior percussionist in Honors Concert Band says “the sense of community in band has been so important in my development as a person and my life at Rio.”
For Hollister, along with other seniors, the entire concert was very emotional- it was like saying goodbye to a place that nourished them since freshman year, basically, a home.
Although saying goodbye is always difficult, many band seniors gained from the program both musically and morally.
Hollister said her “closest friends have come from band,” and Mr. Murray and Mr. Kiesner (also referred to lovingly as Kiesdogg and Kiesnasty) are “fantastic.” As terrific leaders and father figures of the band family, the dynamic duo has definitively maintained a safe and nurturing place for budding musicians and long lasting connections- a place to call home.