Green Hills Academy top band left a lasting impression on a crowd that gathered to watch the band’s performance on Thursday afternoon at the car-free zone, Kigali.

The lunch time performance included four compositions of classic music and current music delivered in a rich and varied mix of the band instruments.

Lance Gaskill, a music instructor at the school and the conductor, led the band at 12:30 and they started with Micheal Story’s Fanfare for a New Age which brought to light the opportunity the teenagers are enjoying. Next up was Randall D. Standrige’s Adrenaline Engine. The highlight of the day was Micheal Jackson’s Thriller during which Gaskill dared the crowd to dance. Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe, which was conducted by one of the students, got the crowd dancing.

Pictures at an exhibition by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky was the last composition before the band played Call Me Maybe and Thriller again, much to the delight of the crowd. Two people from the crowd generated applause when they accepted to volunteer as conductors. The performance ended at 1:30 pm and the crowd slowly dispersed.

The performance was the first of its kind at the location that has been taken over by entertainment activities after it was declared traffic free in August last year.

For the 37 students who were picked from an audition of 100, it was an exciting experience playing in the middle of town.

"It’s a new experience, it’s exciting to get to entertain people, it’s not an easy opportunity but when you find it you have to work hard,” said Ruth Babirye, a clarinet player.

Agape Niyubuhungiro, a French horn player, said it was great and was amazed by the crowd. He said he wished Rwanda would invest more in teaching students instruments and not just singing.

"There are so many talents out there, but people can’t discover them if they don’t get a chance to learn,” Niyubuhungiro said.

Gaskill said the event was an occasion to celebrate the fruits of a two-year programme to teach students at the school music.

"It’s fun for the students, and it is important for their future, this was a celebration. It was fun to play in the middle of town with everybody gathered around,” he said.

Gaskill added that Kigali is being recognised as a place of jazz and is catching up with the rest of the region.

The tour continued with a show at the Urukundo Children’s Home, Gitarama and another at the National University of Rwanda auditorium, Huye.

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