Band Encourages 'Mass Chaos' at Holiday Concert

Dr. Cheryl Newton promised mass chaos, but perhaps fell short—in a good way—delivering only mild confusion.

Students, parents and alumni shared the stage together in the revamped Mass Chaos holiday concert at Oakton High School on Dec. 21.

Participants sight-read holiday music while Newton did her best to keep the concert going through the good and the—less often—bad.

A handful of parents and dozens of alumni united with current band students, sorting through "Sleigh Ride", "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and other holiday tunes.

Before every new song, Newton advised, "Check the key!" and shouted the time signature to ease the task of sight-reading as much as possible.

But through it all, participants and audience members had fun. Musicians laughed when they heard their friends messing up, Newton chuckled—perhaps exasperatedly—when some musicians played the incorrect song, and the audience laughed, cringed and cheered at all the right times.

"I thought it went well considering it was basically sight-reading," Newton said. "It's fun seeing everyone, even with the rough spots."

The fun of it is what will probably keep Mass Chaos on the schedule for next year, Newton said, even though she had joked to the audience she was hoping snowstorm would cancel the event like last year.

For alumni and parents, it was a chance to see old friends, test old skills and revisit old times.

"It was fun," Kelsey Holland, class of 2006, who just graduated from James Madison University with her music degree and will be teaching Fairfax County elementary students in January. "It's not perfect music, but that's not really what it's about. It's just fun and you get to see people you haven't seen in a while."

Holland said Mass Chaos has changed since she was in high school, remembering people from the audience joined for the last three songs, not the whole show.

For freshman trumpeter Nick Stern, seeing the alumni was intimidating at first.

"You see a lot of kids who know all the alumni and you don't really know any of them," he said. "But then you get introduced and everyone's really nice."

He can't wait until it's his turn to return.

"I'm excited to graduate and come back and have everyone know me."

The concert also provided the Band Boosters a chance to raise more money for equipment, uniforms and band trips, according to Lisa Stewart, the band booster parent who handled the money.