With only two acts ready by Music Day, the University Prep tradition was canceled due to lack of interest from the Upper School student body. Music Day was scheduled for Friday, April 21, but was canceled the Monday before. 

Jazz Band Director and Fine Arts Chair at UPrep, Jason Parker, was disappointed that the school missed out on the event.

“I think for me, the beauty of Music Day is that it’s an opportunity to learn something different about our community members,” Parker said. “There’s always people that participate in Music Day that are not part of the music department and it’s fun for me to see that side of our students.”

According to Parker, the best way to get more students excited and involved is to create more hype.

“I think we just need to do a better job of getting into a couple of assemblies and really building it up,” Parker said. “Being a little more active on Schoology. And really kind of pushing it.”

Parker is excited for the next generation of UPrep students to perform and engage in the music program’s activities.

“The ironic thing is that Middle School Music Day was awesome, we had like 12 great acts,” Parker said. “I’m hoping that that energy and momentum will spill over into the upper school as the kids go through.”

Parker is very excited about the future of UPrep’s music program, but he is also sad to see many seniors go.

“There’s three in the jazz band who are, you know, kind of the core of the band, so the jazz band will be in flux,” Parker said. “It’s a smaller group, but it’s a really impactful group that we’re losing.”

Parker found the seniors missing their final performance on Music Day to be the most disappointing part of not celebrating the tradition.

“I’m disappointed that the seniors didn’t get a chance to have their last Music Day,” Parker said. “It’s a community event and it’s a community tradition that we didn’t honor this year.”