On May 11, the Lakewood High School Band Department put on its final concert for the 2025-26 school year.

​The Spring Concert took place at 7 p.m. in the Lakewood High School Civic Auditorium. The Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble performed. The concert featured several seniors, including Miles Evans on the trumpet, Cole Hammer on the piano, Alessio Matera on the bassoon and Mia Thomas on the clarinet.

​Several of the pieces performed at the concert are from movies that we all know and love. The group took inspiration from its Disney trip in November 2025.

​The Concert Band took the stage first, directed by band director Clinton Steinbrunner. The group opened with “Pixar Movie Magic,” arranged by Michael Brown, a medley featuring themes from Pixar films including The Incredibles, Up, Cars and Toy Story

​Concert Band’s second piece was called “Cantina Band” by John Williams, arranged by Michael Kamuf. The piece is a concert band arrangement of the iconic song from Star Wars: A New Hope

​The third and final piece performed by the Concert Band was “Pirates of the Caribbean” by Klaus Badelt, arranged by Michael Sweeney. The piece is an adaptation of “He’s a Pirate” from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

​Hammer then performed “Rêverie” by Claude Debussy, a gentle piano piece known for its flowing melodies and dreamlike atmosphere.

​Evans performed his solo titled “I Dreamt Upon a Melody,” written by Evans himself. Evans said, “I started working really hard on it, and I actually had a dream that there was a part of the solo that I was unsure about, and in my dream I made changes to it, and when I woke up I added those changes to the actual solo, which gave me the idea for the name ‘I Dreamt Upon a Melody.’”

The Symphonic Band then took the stage, starting with “Avengers” by Alan Silvestri, arranged by Michael Brown. The piece, from the The Avengers films, features a bold, heroic melody and cinematic energy.

​The Symphonic Band’s second piece was “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” arranged by Ralph Ford and based on music by John Williams from the second Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The arrangement captured the magic of Hogwarts through its rich harmonies and contrasts.

The final song they performed was “Highlights from Frozen,” arranged by Sean O’Loughlin, which features several popular songs from the Disney film Frozen, including “Let It Go,” “Do You Want to Build a Snowman,” and “For the First Time in Forever.” The medley showed the audience the mix of emotions by really engaging in the lyrical melodies.

​Matera entered the stage, performing “Premier Solo for Bassoon” by Eugène Bourdeau to emphasize tone, phrasing and technical control, allowing the audience to experience Matera’s musical expression more clearly.

​After Matera’s solo, the Wind Ensemble performed, starting off with “El Palamino Noble” by Joseph Compello. The lively piece is inspired by Spanish-style music with high energy, bold rhythms and dramatic dynamics.

The Wind Ensemble’s second piece was Thomas’s concerto, “Clarinet Concerto K. 622 – Adagio” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, arranged by Bardeen. The piece comes from the second movement of Mozart’s clarinet concerto. It was expressive, lyrical and elegant, highlighting Thomas perfectly.

The Wind Ensemble’s third piece was “Symphonic Suite from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” arranged by Victor López. The medley features memorable themes from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, taking the audience on an adventure through dramatic contrasts and sweeping melodies.

“I See the Light” by Alan Menken, arranged by Glenn Slater, from Disney’s film Tangled. The band captured the magic by embracing the warm, gentle and hopeful energy that Disney brings to the table. During this performance, members of the 2026-27 Wind Ensemble joined the group to create something beautiful.

Toward the end of the concert, graduating seniors were honored as they walked across the stage and received flowers while Steinbrunner announced their post–high school plans. Senior Julius Janke said, “It was so sad, but also so sweet, and it’s so fun to say that I am moving on to the next portion of my life.”

The final piece performed by the Wind Ensemble, and the finale of the night, was “Wicked” by Stephen Schwartz, arranged by Jay Bocook. The concert medley features popular songs from the musical Wicked, including “Defying Gravity,” “For Good” and “Dancing Through Life.”

​The LHS Spring Band Concert was a moment that had been highly anticipated since 2022 by some students. It was bittersweet, and the seniors’ dedication, leadership and passion for playing music will be felt for years to come.

​Steinbrunner said, “Take all of the experiences that you have learned in high school and take them to keep growing and trying new things … I’m really thankful that I got to be in the band that I was in and all the classes I got to take in high school. It opened me to be willing to listen to other people and just broaden my worldview.”