Studio Band spreads holiday cheer throughout Europe

From December 5–15, PHS’s Studio Band toured Europe, performing across France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.

The band performed a number of different pieces, each with different styles. Some of their songs included Christmas classics such as “All I Want for Christmas is You,” “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” and “Let it Snow.” Other pieces included “Creep” featuring vocalist Sofia DiGioacchino ’26, “This Can’t be Love” featuring vocalist Sanya Bhatt ’28, and “New York, New York” featuring vocalist Jacob Zacks ’28. On the trip, the band recorded an album of holiday music at the Eiffel Tower, where they also performed.

Each piece came with its own challenges, so in preparation for this trip, Studio Band practiced regularly. Countless rehearsals helped the band to put on smooth performances across each of the five countries they visited, and also make sure that they come together cleanly as a whole. During and after school, they would run through each of their songs and host sectionals, weekly hours-long practice sessions for each section, to work on specific parts with those who played the same instruments. The members of the band also practiced on their own time, perfecting their parts and working through tough sections of each of their pieces.

“[We had] many night rehearsals. Three hours. Literally no break ... we come in, you take everything out, we warm up real quick, and then we start running stuff. Sometimes we [ran] the entire set, and then sometimes [Mr.] Bongiovi would pick certain spots or certain songs to focus on,” said saxophonist Leah Wang ’28.

Articulation and dynamics were especially important when working with each of these songs, as they performed in numerous spaces with different acoustics.

“The notes are challenging [and] there’s this really fast 16th note line. Articulations and dynamics [had] to be on point and we just [had] to sound together,” said Wang.

Alongside the band, Studio Band vocalists had their own preparations for the trip. They often practiced with the band during night rehearsals, as well as on their own time. Each vocalist worked on memorizing their songs and getting used to what they were singing, ensuring that they were comfortable with how each of their pieces fit their voice part.

“I would say by the beginning of November ... we really had to get this album in shape and ready to record. Recently I’ve been as careful as possible not to use my voice, because the worst thing that could ever happen is me being sick or losing my voice. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Zacks.

Aside from just the performances, the band had many opportunities to explore the cities and spend time bonding as a group. They visited Christmas markets and museums such as the Holocaust Museum in Germany.

“We got to record an album, which is a super cool experience. And just being in a place where so many really amazing people have made music and also... It was really fun to connect with the people on a trip,” said flutist Katie Schorr ’26.