We're Home!!!!!

As we pulled in to the TC parking lot, a couple thoughts came into my head.
1) Dang, it's cold. Get me back to Florida!!
2) We have the best of the best kids in our band.

Not a single student got out of line the whole trip....the security guard reported no problems though each night, and said we were a very easy group to care for. Everyone was on time to each event...there was no waiting involved. They played at a very high level just to be accepted to Disney, and they carried that high level to their concerts at the parks. It is an absolute pleasure to care for and work with these young people every day. I can't wait for the next trip, wherever it may be.

Church and Hollywood Studios 2/15/09

We have gone on three band trips, all of them to the south. Of course, we always go to church on the Sunday we go home, and one thing that always strikes me is how welcoming people are to our kids, and to a group as large as ours. This was no exception. The church actually had to cancel their youth Sunday school to get prepared for us. The congregation, pastor, and music team could not have been nicer...they went out of their way to show the students they were happy they were there. The youth pastor really showed his pride in their church when after the service, he took me in the back in their brand new wing and showed me the room he was preparing for teenagers and their needs in the church...it had arcade games, a old style jukebox, everything. The old saying "southern hospitality" really is not just a saying.
We finished our time in Disney at the Hollywood Studios, formerly MGM. I think the kids liked this park the best, mainly because of the thrill rides Rock n' Rollercoaster (accelerates 0-30 in less then 3 seconds) and the Tower of Terror (drops you in an elevator shaft over and over until barf ensues). The shows are great too, with the the car stunt show and the Fantasmic show being highlights. We left at about 8:30 to head home.

Slideshow for 2/15/09

Cosmic Ray's Performance 2/14/09

The thing I think the jazz kids (and myself) were looking forward to the most was their performance at Cosmic Ray's in Magic Kingdom. Allow me to set up the venue for you. There is an anamatronic DJ performing for the crowd most of the day. Then, at periodic intervals, the entire stage lifts up into the ceiling, with another stage coming up out of the ground, with our jazz band on it already performing. The jazz band got to go underground and see the behind the scenes area of Disney...there is a minature city under the park, with restaraunts, malls, roads, etc. under the park for the over 60,000 workers to use. When we got to the stage, we all piled in and got set up. Becky Visser even got to operate the levers to raise and lower the stage. The restaraunt was crowded, as it was at dinnertime. Once our band was announced, the crowd went crazy, and our band kids in the audience really helped give the jazz band an adrenaline boost with their screaming. The band played a nearly flawless set, and the soloists all sounded incredible. When we finished and were lowered into the ground, the faces on the kids said it all. A quote from Michelle Ditchfield..."Let's go up and do it again!!!" It was a highlight of the kids musical lives, and a pleasure to be a part of.

Magic Kingdom 2/14/09

We had a great day at the Magic Kingdom today. A huge park with much to see, the kids had a great time on rides like Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Thunder Mountain. The park is also filled with some interactive rides and shows, like "Mickey's Philharmagic", a 4-D movie involving Donald Duck stealing Mickey's baton. The fireworks over the castle were breathtaking. But, the highlight for many of the kids was seeing, talking, and shaking hands with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. A quote from Aaron Snoeyink..."I am never washing this shoulder again."

Downtown Disney Performance 2/14/09

The weather could not have been nicer for our lone outdoor performance. The stage overlooked the dock, so the audience got a beautiful view of the water as they were watching us play. The stage was amazing, and the acoustics were spectacular...every little noise could be heard with ease. The percussion equipment was amazing too...they loved playing such high quality gear. The performance went good, though we had to persevere through some adversity when the sax player's instrument broke during her solo and nerves got the better of the band for a few minutes. All in all, the crowd was good and enjoyed our show, and kids will probably never play at a place that nice again.

Slideshow for 2/14/09