Junior High Band Day was held on Jan. 21 at Niles West. It is an annual event when the band programs from feeder schools Parkview, Culver, Fairview, Lincoln Hall and Lincoln Junior High come together at Niles West to observe the high school band perform. This year, the high school band students perform “Choose Joy,” “Bacon Suite Blues” and “Trigger the Dream” for middle school students. High school students worked with middle school students to help them adjust to and improve in the high school setting. Many of them found this to be a rewarding experience.

One of those students was May Semmar, an eighth-grader at Parkview. She found the program accepting and beneficial. Niles West seemed intimidating to her at first due to its large campus, busy hallways and high school student population. However, the staff’s friendliness helped relieve some of her stress, which allowed her to feel comfortable and excited to transition to high school.

“[Niles West students and staff] are very supportive and everywhere you look, there is someone who’s going to help you,” Semmar said. “It’s a really nice place. I feel like I’m welcome as an eighth-grader. I’m not nervous to be here, I’m ready.”

Like Semmar, Leila Louafi, an eighth-grader at Parkview, also was nervous at first, but having this experience of watching upperclassmen perform made her look forward to all the other opportunities that she could experience as a student. Getting an overview of the high school experience in general made it easier for her to be excited about high school. 

“I’m scared and nervous about entering high school because there are so many different things I could do, but at the same time, I’m excited to experience something new and learn new things,” Louafi said. 

Sophomore Abiba Amidou loved working with the middle schoolers during the event. She loved being the mentor that she would have wanted when she was a middle schooler herself. Through this program, she wants to encourage middle schoolers to stick with band, even when it gets hard.

“It’s been a good experience playing for the younger ones because I was there once,” Amidou said. 

Not only is the band a very fun and engaging experience for students, it also has benefits when students enter the workplace. Band Director and 2021 Illinois Teacher of the Year Justin Johnson believes that band gives students skills that they can apply to any career path. Being in the music education field for twenty-five years, he has experience with students of all ages and backgrounds. This shaped his belief that band helps kids learn how to collaborate, communicate and work efficiently with different middle schools.

“[People in the band] usually end up as lawyers or doctors,” Johnson said. “We learn how to practice. We learn how to take constructive criticism, and learn how to be feedback-oriented and task-driven…You need to be able to work and practice to improve.”