Timing of Mosaic concert causes stress for Fine Arts students

Holiday Mosaic, for the average DGN student, can be a fun way to relax and enjoy an array of celebratory music. For some Fine Arts students, however, the hours of work put into the performance mixed with the stress of the upcoming finals week can be overwhelming. 

“It’s really easy to fall behind in classes, some teachers don’t understand how much of a commitment Mosaic really is,” junior and orchestra student Justin Berghorst said.

Orchestra students at DGN combine with students from DGS, doubling the performances that these students participate in. 

“The only way I’ve been able to perform seven concerts in four days while still keeping up with all of my homework and studying is to cut back on my daily sleep,” Berghorst said.

Along with the orchestra, the other musical performers have had to stay at school late at night the days leading to the performances to rehearse and practice the holiday hits. 

“It was really hard for me to keep up with all of my homework and I’ve had to miss a few class periods to catch up. That caused me to miss a few review days in class,” junior and choir student Emily Igoe said.

Visual arts students also work for months on pieces for the Mosaic. The artwork is put on display on the Main St. lobby for students to walk by and view. 

“Visual arts kids do most of their work inside of school so there isn’t as much stress for Mosaic until the very end if we have to finish any projects last minute,” junior Gracie Gwozdz said.

Multitasking between Fine Arts and academic classes can be hard to handle, students must pick and choose what to use their energy for.

“I find myself prioritizing my art over schoolwork which can sometimes be an issue. I get so involved in projects that I choose to work on them instead of doing homework just because I am so much more passionate about art,” Gwozdz said.

Students begin to prepare the music for Mosaic in October, typically following the Fall concerts that occur. This allows students to spread out their work throughout the months leading up to the event.

“The time demands for a student in Mosaic can be significant, especially students who elect to take multiple music courses. We encourage students to work-ahead on class assignments and avoid the temptation to procrastinate. We find that students who plan in advance are able to manage the time commitment very successfully,” Mosaic director Briar Teague said.

Mosaic took place Dec. 10, the first year Mosaic fell on the week before final exams due to the late Thanksgiving break. It takes a week to set up the stage and allow all musical performers to rehearse their respective pieces, causing the performances to be conducted later than a typical year. 

“Mosaic to me was honestly quite fun because the time flew by and, although we were rehearsing a lot in that one week, it makes the week afterward seem much shorter,” junior Nora Long said.

Throughout the week, students are pushed to work hard and see how well students could work as a team to pull off this performance.

“It is stressful that we crammed a bunch of stuff into one week, but it is always amazing to see how well the music and artwork blend together into a really great performance,” junior Kate Murray said.