Arts & Entertainment
The Sound of Victory: Marching Bulldogs End a Season With Victories
By Hayden Hernandez
December 5, 2024
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The Marching Bulldogs have made multiple headlines this season with an impressive amount of achievements that show their dedication, talent and school pride. They competed in multiple events, earning top honors which include first place in Music Category and first place in the Color Guard Category. They were also awarded the Eddie Harris Memorial, a prestigious award.
The band also serves as an important component of the Walter M. Williams High School Community. The Marching Bulldogs’ achievements are a testament to the talent and hard work of the students, supported by their dedicated families, faculty, and booster clubs. As the season ends, the Marching Bulldogs leave a lasting contribution of achievements setting a high bar for future band members.
Music Is Everything
by Anthony Gwynn
December 9, 2024
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Music is calm, music is loud, it's lively and energetic. Yet it can also be comforting and soothing. Music can bring happiness, though also sadness. Music can even bring or hold love. “Music is literally everything," says student Janiece Lopez, junior at our very own Williams High. “There is a beat permanent in every sound ever. People make sounds out of anything, anything could be music." Do you agree? That music could be created from anything or anyone? That we may even walk past music created from nature, the chattering of our peers, or even cars driving by, anything you could imagine. Because “Music is all around us,” says student Aubri Alston, sophomore at Alamance-Burlington Early College. “You could go in any state and find a good artist."
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Though music can be found anywhere, it comes down to artists’ to give these abundances of sounds a beat, creating music. Combining lyricism, beats, samples, and really anything to create a well-known and loved form of art. The best thing about music is that it is for everyone. Anybody can find either a genre or a song that they really like due to the “versatility of music," says Aubri. “ I think everyone has their own preference or taste when it comes to music, you just have to find it." Though how would you go about finding your own music taste? Luckily Janiece has some strong words of advice to help us out: “When it comes to music taste, it’s good to ask people for artists, but it's more fulfilling or enjoyable to find an artist on your own. By just listening and as you listen you may find an artist and think oh, they're really good, let me listen to more of their music. Or hey this feature sounds good, I should research and listen to this person. It’s a great feeling to finally find your favorite or just a good artist in general."
Though it may be hard at first, once you find an aspiring or successful artist to listen to, it’ll all be worth it. You might even find a young musician worth keeping up with; they could be within our very own Bulldog Band! With the band, orchestra, and chorus concerts coming up, you may find yourself lost in the magic of music! I hope to see you there!
Chorus Concert - Thursday 12/12 at 7pm
Orchestra Concert - Tuesday 12/17 at 7pm
Band Concert - Thursday 12/19 at 7pm
Ella Bella Ballerina and The Nutcracker
By Marisa Tang
December 3, 2024
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"Ella Bella Ballerina and The Nutcracker" will be performed December 20th through the 22nd at the Paramount Theater in Burlington. Burlington Dance Center will perform its take on The Nutcracker, having gotten special permission from the author of the Ella Bella books to use this story for its winter performance.
The cast has been working on these pieces since August during their Nutcracker Workshop, a week of classes that consist of learning multiple dances in the show that the choreographers think will best fit the girls.
Williams student Shayna Tang will be performing in the Snow and Flowers piece. Shayna says that her favorite part of the preparations and performances is spending time with all the girls in the cast. She also says that after the performances she feels happy and sad at the same time, since it is another show that has ended. She will perform alongside her younger sister, Simone, who is performing as a soldier and the Marzipan variation. Simone says that her favorite part about the performances is that it is fun. Her mindset before the show is that she can do it, and after, she tells herself that she did her best. Simone wants the audience to feel proud after seeing the show.
Isabel Pulido, choreographer of many of the variations and some of the first act, says that she wants the audience to remember the Christmas spirit of joy and happiness that Ella Bella and The Nutcracker produces. She also hopes that everyone remembers that dreams are magical and necessary in life. Her favorite piece is Waltz of the Flowers or Waltz of the Snowflakes. Before the shows, she says she is usually a little anxious. She wants her students to do well and tends to worry about what others will think of the show and her choreography. After the shows she cherishes the time the cast and crew get when celebrating the performances. She says her favorite part has to be working with her students, challenging them with harder choreography, and being able to witness their growth from the beginning of the semester to the performances.
Burlington Dance Center would love to have your support and hopes to see you all at the show!
