Last Saturday, local musicians took center stage at the Desert Empire Fairgrounds for the Fourth Annual Music Festival, and Burroughs was proudly represented by many talented artists.

Ranging from heavy metal to classical romantic music, the event provided an opportunity for all types of musicians to enjoy and present their work.

More than a dozen musicians and groups, including fellow students from the Burroughs music program, proudly played at this year’s Music Festival.

The festival not only provided students an opportunity to play for a larger audience but also appreciate and learn a new variety of music.

In addition to learning new music, the actual setting and scenery of some students’ performances was a whole different experience.

“Going in at first, I was a little nervous just because I was not used to the stage and different lighting than the typical concerts I perform at,” said senior Rachel Huynh. “However, I’m definitely glad I chose to perform in such a different environment as it will come in handy for the future.”

Not only did students get to perform and represent Burroughs, but they also had the opportunity to enjoy the different genres of music performed within the community.

“I feel like we are usually used to listening to either classical music put on by the Orchestra or, if we are lucky, pop genres put on by the band,” said junior Sarah Quick. “I figured that most of our community followed a similar taste, however, there was a wide variety that surprised me like heavy metal.”

Perhaps one of the most enjoyable groups our school saw was the heavy metal band 9 O’Clock Is the New Forty, featuring lead singer and Economics teacher Eric Lawrence along with former students Alec Bloomberg, Bradley Patin, and Parker Bullard.

Stepping on stage with confidence, the group performed exceedingly well and brought the audience back to an era of cultured heavy metal.

“After seeing their performance, I will definitely say that heavy metal is an underrated genre,” said senior Gillian Torres.

For some students, listening to Lawrence was the highlight of the band’s performance.

“As soon as I heard he was playing, I knew I had to go,” said senior Aaron Bal. “His performance was remarkable and definitely was the best part of the night.”

Lawrence seemed pleased with the opportunity.

“We’ve been playing a lot of shows recently, but this one was particularly fun because we got to be part of such a wonderful community event,” said Economics teacher Eric Lawrence. “It was fun sharing the stage with all the other local bands in the area, and it’s always exciting to play for people that haven’t seen us before.”

This year’s Music Festival not only gave an amazing experience to students but opened a new road for students in our music community.