Disney, a place of dreams and… drum majors? The Ridge Marching Band got the chance to work with musical professionals and enjoy rides during a trip to Florida’s Disney World.
A once in a lifetime experience, to say the least, was what students of the Ridge Marching Band got over the four day weekend of November 7 to November 10. They refined their musical skills through a workshop with a Disney musician. Then, of course, they were able to explore the Disney parks and go on many rides. Finally, to top it all off, they marched down Main Street, U.S.A. of Magic Kingdom in one of Disney’s world famous parades.
The workshop for the band gave students an up close experience with a musician that helps record music for Disney, including movies, television shows, and more. Through sight reading (looking at a piece of music for the first time) and playing Disney music, marchers created their own Disney video with their own recording in the background. All in all, the workshop was an interactive and exciting experience for band members.
The quintessential Disney experience is having fun on rides and attractions with friends. While they weren’t playing their instruments, marchers were doing exactly that. The band visited parks such as Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Magic Kingdom.
Finally, on the last day in the parks (November 9), band members marched through Magic Kingdom in a parade. Being the only marching band there, and walking around all of Magic Kingdom, thousands were able to see the Ridge Marching Band as they marched around Cinderella’s castle. Trumpets sang out and drums beat in grand fashion as Ridge took center stage.
The students, as a whole, cherished this experience and loved the trip. When asked how the band was affected musically by the workshops and how the Disney experience was, students provided a plethora of positive feedback.
Ted Hoeller ’16 said, “The professionals really knew what they were doing and they taught me a lot about what it means to be a professional musician. The band was really influenced well by that. The park was a really fun experience because it was my first time going. We had plenty of time to explore the park and ride all of the rides that we wanted.”
Sophie Kieftenbeld ‘14, gave a similar response, saying, “Working with a professional musician allowed us as a band to see what it really takes to succeed. You need to work hard in order to do it right the first time. Being behind the scenes at Disney allowed us to see how much work goes into creating the magic. Nonetheless, enjoying the rides and seeing all the characters certainly made traveling to Disney with some of my best friends a trip that I will never forget.”
Clearly, the “Let the Memories Begin!” motto of Disney applies here. The Marching Band’s trip to Disney was a journey that no one will be forgetting any time soon.