To me, I would say that Rocktober is this moment where we all get together, and it’s this culmination of like everyone is new in a way, and it’s the beginning, and we’re starting off an amazing year with great music and it’s just that moment where we all get to connect and we get to bond over music for the rest of the year,” said Carah Jones, a graduate of 2021. She said she thinks that apart from being the first orchestra concert of the year, Rocktober has a much deeper meaning.
To many, Rocktober seems fairly confusing. When most people think of orchestra performances, what comes to mind is classical music and concert black. Rocktober does not remotely fit this representation.
“Rocktober is the first concert of the year that happens in October, and it’s the best experience ever, because the students get to play rock music or just classic rock,” Jones said. “I know when I went here we actually played ‘Hello’ by Adele, and that was sick. Always Crazy Train because it has the best rocking beat. It’s just such a fun experience,” she said.
What makes Rocktober such a fun time? The fact that the combined high school orchestras and orchestras from Central and Andersen middle schools play united gives Rocktober a uniqueness that no other concert has. When asked what Rocktober meant to her, sophomore Janet Nass said, “Rocktober is a time where I don’t have to wear concert black and I can have fun and play rock songs and have back tattoos!”
“When I first came to Millard South 17 years ago, the first concert would alternate (between the years),” orchestra director Dr. Brittany Rom said. “Like one theme would be Halloween theme, and then the other year would be some other theme, and one year we did a rock theme, and everyone wanted to do rock after that,” she said.
This year, the orchestra played “Mr. Brightside,” “Crazy Train,” “You Really Got Me,” and “Seven Nation Army.” The most popular song was “Crazy Train,” with 42 percent of students saying it was their favorite. This year was freshman Romeo Arreguin’s first Rocktober.
“I’ve had a lot of fun playing Crazy Train and You Really Got Me,” he said.
Senior Anthony Marrero stated, “Rocktober marks the start of the season and the grind… I enjoy Rocktober a lot, I truly do enjoy the variety of music in orchestra in Rocktober, and it’s a refresh from the classical music.”
Rom explains, “It’s also, like, fun for the middle school students to play music that they know, unlike music that they’ve never heard before because it’s like “Now I have to learn classical music just because I play a string instrument,” But I think connecting with our own real-world music is important.”
According to Rom, this year’s Rocktober “totally rocked.”
Marrero emceed the event and said, “My stand up went great. It was so funny…The crowd loved me,” when asked about his performance.
While some see Rocktober as a break from the classical or a time for fun outfits, Rom’s perception of the meaning of Rocktober and orchestra as an entity is a little different.
“I hope that everyone finds this as a safe space to connect with people… people who might not be friends normally have this space where they can share something together, and they can make friendships.”
