On Dec. 12, the Advanced Jazz band shared the stage with other Urban performers in the annual Winter Concert at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. The performance featured songs they learned this year such as September by the band Earth Wind & Fire.

Scott Foster, the faculty director of the Advanced Jazz Band, said that his most intensive work comes early in the school year. In September, Foster meets with the soloists and complies a list of songs that will display the band’s strengths. Foster said that his main job is to recognize issues that the band faces and to “focus on improvements,” as well as choosing songs that “make them sound good.”

When asked what the student musicians do to prepare for the winter concert, Lily Burns (’11) said, “I practice and relax. I don’t think about what the audience will think; I just think about how much fun I will have once I’m on stage.” Burns explained that the E-period commitment is very time-consuming, but it is worth it for the thrill of performing.

Gabe Kaufman (’13) reflected on the reasons he continues to work hard in Jazz Band. “The feeling after you play really well is one of the reasons I keep coming back to perform,” he said. “Also, it is good to have something you need to work up to. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have anything to prepare for. It gives reason to our practices.”

Foster said that although there is a sense that “people know what we’re doing,” he wishes that there would be “more support from the Urban community at the actual performance.”

The next concert for the Advanced Jazz Band is coming up on Jan 27. in the Gumption Theater at Urban at 4:30pm and 7 p.m.