By Kari Lucin, Tribune Staff Reporter

Albert Lea High School’s Pops concert, &8220;A Celebration of Latin American and Mexican Music and Culture,&8221; will include chips and salsa from Tienda Mexico, beverages, and activity tables for kids, as well as a performance from local band Conjunto Rebeldes.

Students from Spanish classes will be helping with crafts like friendship bracelets and paper flowers, and the art department will have student art on display.

And all that is just the pre-concert reception, in the high school commons, between 6:30 and 7:25 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6.

The concert proper starts in the auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for seniors and students. The treats and crafts are all included in the price of admission.

&8220;Musically, for the students (Latin American music) provides a lot of challenges, in terms of rhythms and key signatures and things like that, because it’s music that’s very different, has a different feel from what they’re used to,&8221; said Scott Fitzsimonds, director of bands. &8220;And then again, it’s a celebration of a part of a culture that’s part of our community.&8221;

Jazz 1 will play, featuring Juan Tony Guzman, a professor of music from Luther College. Tiger Band, composed of ninth graders, will be performing next.

Then Varsity Band will play along with the Albert Lea Community Band. Finally Concert Band will take the stage.

&8220;For those people of Latin American or Mexican heritage, they should find that there are familiar folk tunes that are part of these pieces of music. Because many of the songs are based on traditional songs,&8221; said Fitzsimonds.

To fit the Latin American theme, programs will be printed in both English and Spanish.

&8220;So far the students seem excited. For them I’m doing more to get them involved with the process of getting ready for a concert. Some of them are a little puzzled as to why they’re helping out, why they can’t just show up and play, and others are excited that we’re doing more than just showing up and playing,&8221; said Fitzsimonds.

Last year the pops concert’s theme was movie music, and the year before it, the bands played marches.

&8220;We’d love to see people come out and check out the event, every year we do this I always get a lot of nice comments from people saying that it was more or maybe better, more enjoyable than maybe they expected, or remember band concerts being,&8221; said Fitzsimonds.

(Contact Kari Lucin at kari.lucin@albertleatribune.com or 379-3434.)