Side By Side Concert 2026!

Every year, students from opposite ends of Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) are offered the invaluable opportunity to connect. Through the Side By Side program, fifth graders from AUSD’s elementary schools are matched with a musician from Arcadia High School’s (AHS) Wind Ensemble or Symphony Orchestra, with both mentor and mentee gaining new skills in the process. On Mar. 19 these students were able to reap the rewards of their hard work with a show-stopping concert!

The process of preparing for the concert started several weeks before, when high school students were first able to meet their younger counterparts during an evening rehearsal. Students got to know each other better through fun icebreaker activities, such as discussing their favorite animated characters. High schoolers were then able to share the musical knowledge they’ve amassed over the years to help elementary schoolers through the pieces. 

Two and a half weeks later, rehearsal time and independent practice came to a head onstage. Four pieces were played in total, a diverse repertoire that provided something for everyone to enjoy. First up was The Hunter, a Romantic piece by Johannes Brahms and arranged and conducted by Mr. Conrad Henning, one of AUSD’s elementary school music teachers. Next came selections from Gustav Holst’s iconic The Planets suite. This particular arrangement contained selections from “Mars, the Bringer of War” and “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity,” and was conducted by AHS’ Ms. Chen. The concert then took a trip southward with Tango Pequeno by Bill Miller and conducted by Ms. Connie Tu, a piece that evokes the famous “Habanera” from Georges Bizet’s Carmen. Last but certainly not least, elementary teacher Ms. Cindy Liu conducted selections from recent Oscar awardee KPOP Demon Hunters (2025). A favorite among the musicians and the audience, the piece included the film’s concert introduction, “Golden,” “This is What it Sounds Like,” and “Soda Pop.” Certainly an upbeat way to end the performance!

At the end of the day, both high school and elementary students were able to learn a lot from each other. Beyond the technical aspects of music, students were able to practice communicating with and inspiring one another. For high schoolers who had once been through Side By Side themselves, seeing others in their shoes brought back nostalgic memories. Elementary teachers also had a blast reconnecting with their former students. 

As senior Eva Huang put it, the experience was “super surreal because we were once the littles.” 

Hopefully this memorable opportunity has inspired these fifth graders to continue with their instruments until they can rejoin the Side By Side program, this time as mentors to an even younger generation. Thank you to the high school and elementary school music teachers who made this possible through their patience and dedication!