Two weekends ago, Cantabile Honors Chorale and Symphonic Advanced Band were fortunate enough to represent Horizon Honors in Disneyland’s Performing Arts Program, which allows students to perform within the park and have a recording session in a Disney studio. All year, the students in the school’s top choir and band have been fundraising and preparing setlists to perform in the most magical place on Earth, and from May 17th to the 20th, we traveled to Anaheim, California, and saw a jazz band perform, explored the park, got to see backstage Disney, and went to Huntington Beach.
The trip focused around participating in Disney’s Performing Arts Onstage Program, where students are able to perform within the park, go behind the scenes, and learn music with a professional director and record in Disney official studio. Both groups learned and recorded pieces from Tangled, and Cantabile also sang “This is Halloween” from Nightmare Before Christmas, and Symphonic played the traditional Disney opening credits theme and “So Long” from Toy Story 3. However, it wasn’t all hard work; we were given 2 day park hopper tickets and were able to explore both Disneyland and California Adventures. A handful of students, myself included, had never been to either park, and I personally had a fantastic time. The ride that was undoubtedly a student favorite was California Screamin’, a famous and thrilling roller coaster with a loop, sharp turns, and a wicked fast blast off. Most everyone also went on Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, and the Matterhorn, while anyone afraid of heights or coasters could enjoy more sedate rides like the Teacups or the Ferris Wheel.
The best part of the trip, however, wasn’t the workshop or the rides. It was spending time with the people with whom we’ve sung and played all year. Band and choir students can make their own fun and have a good time wherever we go, which we proved on this trip. Whether on the beach, a concert hall, or a theme park, we banded together and made things great. This is the second time our school has taken part in the trip and program with Disney, so here’s hoping future performing arts students get the same incredible opportunity!
