![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Jazz groups perform in an Evening of Jazz, ending with a commemoration of graduating seniors
A saxophonist solos on top of the upper school Jazz Band’s set during Evening of Jazz. Both upper schoolers and middle schoolers performed at the event, which featured an extensive set list as well as a ceremony honoring the graduating seniors.
April 21, 2019
Jazz groups from the Middle School and Upper School continued their annual tradition of performing in Evening of Jazz, held tonight in the Rothschild Performing Center. The show started at 6:30 p.m and ended at 9:00 p.m, with a brief 10 minute intermission in between.
The night began with 6th grade Jazz Band playing three pieces, followed by high school Lab Band, both directed by Naoki Taniguchi, the new middle school orchestra and jazz teacher. After the intermission, 7th and 8th grade Jazz Band played 3 pieces, then Upper School Jazz Band performed, directed by Naoki Taniguchi and Upper School Jazz Band conductor David Hart, respectively. Lab Band played five pieces: Buster and Benny Moten’s “Moten Swing”, David Hazeltine’s “Captain’s Song”, John La Barbera’s “Thanks Hank”, a self written song called “We Don’t Know”, and Chick Corea’s “Spain.” Upper school Jazz Band played eight pieces,
Not only was tonight the night of the long-running Evening of Jazz, it was also the Jazz Band’s senior night. The performance featured solos by seniors Donna Boucher (flute and tenor saxophone), Rahul Goyal (baritone saxophone), Kobe Howard (trombone), Jacob Kim (alto saxophone), Leon Lu (piano), Annabelle Perng (piano), Neil Ramaswamy (drums), Alex Rule (trumpet), Sian Smith (trumpet), Jerry Su (trumpet), Kelsey Wu (vocals), and Connie Xu (bass). These twelve departing seniors have left a deep impact on the musical community, and the event commemorated their years in the music program.
The middle school and upper school orchestras will have a similar event in their annual spring concert on May 3.
