Full Spectrum Concert from the United States Air Force

The juniors and seniors of Toll Gate were given quite the treat during the week of Saint Valentine’s Day. Coming from Virginia, a band from the Air Force known as Full Spectrum, put on a show for us. Many were pleasantly surprised by this assembly (if that’s what it could be called…) and no one has complained based on whom I have talked to. When you hear your grade gets called down, there is a sense of excitement knowing that this could make the day go by faster, but also a sense of dread knowing that it could be another lecture.

The transition from hall to auditorium was the definition of juxtaposition. Before you entered, you could already see a few Air Force members as well as decorations to compliment the occasion. Once you entered the auditorium, however, things went from one to one hundred. Lights beaming on stage, smoke coming from the background, and instruments like drum sets that seem as though they have always stood there, all caped off by a red, white, and blue aesthetic. 

We nestled ourselves into more cushioned seats compared to the classroom and waited to see what was ahead. You could literally feel the beat of the music in your whole body, especially your chest. By the time the concert started, about half of the students went all out and got up close and personal. Some of the other Air Force members encouraged others, including me, to mingle right below the stage itself as the other half of the students were. Although there was temptation inside me, I remained in my seat. The best I did was stand there tapping my foot to the beat.

The concert singers sang up-to-date, catchy tunes that I can guarantee anyone from my generation would know, a lot of whom were singing along. During this process, they also started throwing out hats that promoted the Air Force and other attire. By the time the whole experience ended, I really started to become gracious toward the teachers and administrators who set this up. Although I personally would not say I had the best time of my life, it was definitely worth it to hear others say very positive things about it.

I asked some people what they thought and most of them really enjoyed it. Some said it was one of the best in-school events we’ve ever had. To push the envelope further, I put a binary poll on Instagram to see if they thought it was awesome or if the noise was just too much. I personally thought it was a great experience and so did many others too.