Johansen High musicians team to help vets at WWII concert

Musical memories from World War II will have toes tapping and hands clapping as Johansen High bands belt out their best moves in a benefit concert for the school and the Veterans Foundation of Stanislaus County.

“It’s really fun. It’s a bit harder this year – more complicated rhythms and higher notes. It’s fun to play, but really hard,” said Will Scheid, who will be performing on alto sax for the concert.

Scheid spoke between zippy tunes any ducky shincracker would flip his wig over (translation: any good dancer would go crazy for).

Dipping their toes into the 1940s was not just a musical hi-de-ho, however. As with each year’s Johansen High extravaganza, music teacher Brad Hart said, the whole school gets involved, digging into the era through lessons in a variety of subjects.

“We did an in-depth analysis of the lyrics. We essentially benefit from how our fathers fought tooth and nail for what they believed in and their spirit comes clear (in the songs),” said Michael Hildebrandt, a senior who said he is now thinking about joining the Army after graduation.

“I encourage more people to appreciate education. Art gives us a looking glass into the past. Anyone can read a textbook – words are words. But music ...” Hildebrant’s thought trailed off as he jumped into the next tune with the band.

The melody was “God Bless the Child,” sung and co-written by Billie Holiday. The song is a band memorial to Neil Griffin, a 20-year saxophonist with the Air Guard Band who died in October. His musicianship will be missed, Hart said, and a World War II tribute seemed even more appropriate given his military connections.

But even the soulful tune raised spirits in the hands of Johansen’s jazz band, which pivoted quickly to a killer diller song the whole room’s feet twitched to. Nothin’ fuddy-duddy here.

The big event will be at the State Theatre this year, a little more lettuce but for two good causes.

“This time around the event is not just raising money for the Johansen performing arts department, but also for the Veterans Foundation of Stanislaus County. We are even raffling off special wine bottles that will be signed by vets from around the area. We have one bottle set aside for just World War II vets as well,” Hart said.

“The concert itself will still be full of its normal array of complete coverage of the vast array of topics involving World War II,” he said.

The Johansen musicians will also debut a piece the performing arts department commissioned, written in remembrance of Japanese-Americans placed in internment camps here in the United States.

This story was originally published April 16, 2016 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Johansen High musicians team to help vets at WWII concert."