On Dec. 11, the bands of La Quinta High — beginning band, concert band, and wind symphony — performed holiday songs in the Indian Wells Theatre at the CSUSB Palm Desert campus.

According to the band director, Mr. Fleischmann, some of the students in beginning band hadn’t touched an instrument before walking into the class. Beginning Band performed a set of just three notes and another set of five.

Concert Band played traditional Christmas songs, such as “Silent Night” and “The Bells of Christmas.” They also played “Mystic Journey” and “Pevensey Castle” by Robert Sheldon.

Wind Symphony played four songs — “Joy,” Christmas Through The Looking Glass,” “A Charles Dickens Christmas” and “Sleigh Ride,” allowing people who brought their own instruments to join in with the band for the last song.  

“I believe the show went very well, said Christopher Lopez ‘19, who plays the French horn. “Mr. Fleischmann is a good teacher; he’s helped me out since freshman year in beginning band.”

The entry was free, but they accepted donations for the CSUSB campus. The band has a tradition that if they raise a certain amount of money, Fleischmann will wear an elf costume at the end of the night. Fortunately, thanks to all of the generous donations, Fleischmann donned the elf costume at the end, concluding the festive evening.