It’s been over a year since the band has been able to host a concert, with last year’s spring concert canceled due to COVID-19 and this year’s winter concert canceled due to remote learning.

Assistant Director Dean Anderson said county regulations and the number of active cases in EHS made it feasible to finally host an in-person concert April 29.

But the spring concert will not be held as normal. Instead it will be split up into two parts, with concert band playing first at 7 p.m. and symphonic band playing second at 7:45 p.m. The decision to divide the concert was made by the directors to allow for social distancing.

To enforce restricted attendance directors distributed 145 tickets to concert band members and 143 tickets for symphonic band, according to Mr. Anderson. Breaking it down even further, each underclassman got two tickets and each senior gets four tickets.

“We’re doing it that way because not a lot of the senior parents have got to hear the band play live at all this year,” Mr. Anderson said. “So it is as much for them as it is for the kids.”

The limited audience does not faze Mr. Anderson. He expects a “similar quality concert” as before COVID-19 because his students have been practicing their music since January.

Students are excited to perform again.

“I think it will be really cool to perform in front of a live audience,” junior saxophonist Aiden Henke said. “There’s a lot that gets lost when it’s over a streaming service.”

Some students like Henke and senior percussionist Elena Brown have had a chance to perform for an audience already this year by participating in pit orchestra for the drama club’s production “All Shook Up.”

“It was really nice having a live audience again and hearing the applause and reactions,” Brown said.

For an audience of mostly band parents, symphonic and concert band will be performing three pieces each. The concert will be shorter because directors are skipping senior recognition due to the separate performances. Instead, seniors will be recognized at a band banquet later in the month.