Four schools will split concert proceeds
HOUGHTON -- It's the season for giving and receiving, which is exactly the idea behind the annual Sounds of the Season holiday concert.
Students in the Houghton High School band are preparing three songs for this weekend's show. Though they practice and perform throughout the school year, they especially look forward to playing the Rozsa Center, alongside several other school bands and choirs.
"Most of our songs are just regular Christmas songs that everyone knows, but the Calypso song is just a range of different sounds trying to make Christmas music," says Manjere Hungwe.
For the past decade, students from Houghton, Hancock, Lake Linden, and Jeffers have been invited to show off their skills and raise money for their music programs.
The event is sponsored by the Copper Range Abstract and Title Agency and Eagle Radio who pay to rent the stage and allow the schools to split the proceeds.
"We have to buy new music, and instruments break," says Emily Raffaelli. “We always have to earn our own money to fix those things and buy new things, so this concert is a big help for us."
Despite being a small school, Jeffers' band has grown over the past few years and works hard to impress at the Rozsa.
"It’s fun getting to play for a wider audience,” says Lori Petrelius. “We always have our parents here and it's fun to play for the them, but to have other people hear us and know we can stand out in a crowd is nice."
If you want to hear their holiday tunes and help support the local schools, tickets are still available through the Rozsa Center box office.
Students take the stage this Sunday at 3 p.m.