A trip 3 years in the making just came into actuality.  On March 1st the Glenbard South Music Department departed for Disney World in Orlando, Florida. This trip was originally supposed to occur in Spring of 2021 with only the choir and band. Due to COVID, the trip was postponed and included all three of the music groups at Glenbard South. Choir director, Mrs. Hutchinson said, “This was my first time doing a school Disney trip with three ensembles (band, choir, orchestra). There were more moving parts but it was also exciting to provide a fun experience to so many students.”

During their magical journey, each music group attended a clinic led by a Disney professional, and performed at Disney Springs or marched down Main Street of Magic Kingdom. 

The clinic provided students with the opportunity to play Disney songs, learn about the recording process and then record a piece to accompany a movie clip. In regards to the clinic, sophomore band member Nathan Le stated that “It helped me understand the skill in musicality that I was lacking and helped me develop those skills.” While many students noted the helpfulness of the clinic, it was also expressed that the clinic was full of fun and enjoyment. Senior band and orchestra member Calvin Scharf said, “The clinic was great. The guy teaching us came in, introduced himself, then played an awesome 3 minute saxophone solo. What a way to enter! The rest of the time, we played a bunch of Disney tunes and learned some techniques for sight reading and other musicalities. We even got to record our music over the real movie scenes of Disney movies. It was super fun!”

After participating in the clinic students had the opportunity to perform the music they worked on in school. For the choir and orchestra groups, this meant a performance at Disney Springs. The band marched down Main Street of Magic Kingdom while proudly holding the Disney officiated Glenbard South banner. Senior band member Lizzie Steele said that “It was a magical experience arching down Main Street, very hot, but wonderful.” Similarly, junior band member Sydney Kiley stated “It was fun even though it was 90° and we all felt disoriented! We weren’t lucky in the weather department but it was an interesting experience that I probably won’t get to do again.” In addition to the heat, many students noted another aspect of the weather that complicated the performances. Junior band and orchestra member Zach Cooper stated that “The wind made things a bit messy for orchestra, but it was still fun.”

Despite the weather, orchestra director Mr. Govertsen stated, “I thought we did legitimately really well under the circumstances. We played at an outdoor venue where it was INCREDIBLY windy, and our music was flying off of the stands. Even the sheets of plastic that they give you to keep the music from flying away in the wind was also flying away!”

While this was a trip specifically for expanding musical skills, students had plenty of free time to explore the parks on their own and soak in the Florida sunshine. Many memories were made on this once of a lifetime experience. When asked about her favorite memory of the trip, junior orchestra member Emma Pekkarinen stated “I cannot choose one moment, I’ve never been to Disney so every part of it was honestly so cool!” As an answer to the same question, band director Mr. Wallace said, “Marching down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom knowing that the students were going to remember that parade for the rest of their lives.” 

Gallery • 3 Photos

Music students in front of the Epcot Ball. (Photo credits: Felicity Abbott)