During a typical day, whether you are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, the day is usually busy full of work for classes or extracurricular activities after school. During lunch and brunch are the times where you are able to relax and take a break. For many years, the Mills Music Department has put on lunch performances called Brown Bags. These informal concerts held during lunch are a casual and cozy thing. Whether you are having a good or bad day, it’s always nice to listen to some music. Whether it is a jazzy tune or an upbeat song, it can make your day.
What exactly are Brown Bag concerts? Well, unlike traditional concerts, these events are much shorter and relaxed. They encourage the community to come together and it’s not a serious event where you have to dress up orbuy a ticket to attend. Zaina Baluom (11) has taken up a new role that was recently added in the Mills Music Department. She oversees the logistics and ensures that performers are well prepared for the Brown Bags. Not only does she lead these projects, she performs in many of them as well. When asked what the goal was for these Brown Bag concerts, she responded, “They’re so important for our community at Mills, it’s just like providing the students something to connect over and giving everyone in the music department a chance to, you know, really express themselves and get creative.” There are many ways that you can express yourself at Mills or be creative, whether it is what you wear or what you do. But these concerts aren’t just meant to be seen, they also inspire those who are willing to jump into a new creative zone of musical making.
Daniel Grimkov (11)plays the guitar for the Mills Jazz Band and for these Brown Bags. Some of the thoughts that he shared about practices for the Brown Bags give us a little insight on how they really work. He talked about how they usually practiceduring Flex, lunch, or after school. They also transcribe charts, which is reformatting original pieces into a detailed reference that others are able to read and play. When asked what it was like practicingwith his bandmates, he said, “[It’s] amazing because it’s a good community and it’s a lot of fun, [and] because we all share a good passion for music.” The community that these Brown Bags build is also seen through the companionship of these bands.
Not only do the performers love to play and jam out, but the listeners find it entertaining and lively as well. Justin Evanchik (11) has said that he enjoys having the music there, sharing, “It’s a fun thing to sit there with your friends and listen to the music.” Many come and gather to hear the performance and even if you sit far away you are still able to hear all the songs playing.
Ultimately, these performances have been a great success in this school for the bands that have performed for these concerts. Whether it is for the crowds they bring in or the lively environment they create, these performances and performers are greatly appreciated. Whether you are reading this as a listener or as a performer, you should be inspired to expand on your creativity.
