WHHS musical groups enjoy 'magical' time at Disney World
When the world’s most famous mouse extends his white-gloved hand in invitation to visit America’s most beloved theme park, you don’t ask questions; you just thank your lucky stars and head south to Florida.From March 29 to April 3, the West Holmes High School marching band, jazz band and choir took full advantage of being invited to perform at Disney World at some of the most prized venues available. Whether it was the band playing in the afternoon parade in front of 70,000 people, performing in the Magic Kingdom Night Parade or whether it was the choir singing at the Make A Dream Come True performance, the students at West Holmes went to Disney and made their own dreams come true — and not only did they perform admirably, they represented their school, community and most importantly, themselves in a manner which drew praise from everyone they met.
“I was extremely proud of the way the kids conducted themselves everywhere we went,” said band director Brian Dodd. “They represented themselves and their school and community so well. We had so many comments on how well-behaved and polite our kids were. That thrills me as much as anything.”
Getting to perform at Disney is not an easy task. Playing at the top venues like Epcot Center and Disney Park are even more impressive. Schools must submit video tapes of their performances, photographs, and even photos of their uniforms, as well as a resume of their performances. While they visit, Disney treats them like staff, and they expect a very high standard of performance.
Dodd, who has now made nine trips to Disney, and choir teacher Kristen Rodhe understand that getting to perform in such a high-exposure venue is not easy. That’s why luck has less to do with their arrival there this year than it did with preparation.
“The kids understand what it takes to get there, and because of that, they really work hard to prepare, in hopes that when Disney sees our tapes, they think enough of us to invite us down,” said Rodhe, who went as a student and now as a director with West Holmes. “This is a big, big deal for them, and they take it very seriously. You could tell how excited they were by the trip down, when the entire trip was chatter, chatter, chatter.”
What has made it nice for West Homes is that now, after four trips, Disney has an idea of how talented the performers are, and how hard the group works to get to the highest level. That gives them an in, although they still must go through the process of submitting everything every three years.
Dodd said that the marching band performed in both the afternoon parade and the night parade, and both had plenty of reason to provide excitement for his band. For the first time in Dodd’s nine trips, the park was so full that they closed the gates, which made it even more important to perform well.
“There was a real nervous excitement to the kids,” said Dodd, right before the band got the OK to hit the streets of Disney playing. “This is really our state playoff. Short of the Rose Bowl Parade and Macy’s Day Parade, there are few parades which can match the excitement and crowd which are on hand here for this one. I still get chills when they open up the huge doors and send us out there.”
Bands from all over the nation submit tapes in hopes of being picked for this honor. Few receive an invitation. Usually only one band performs among the many floats and Disney characters in the parade, but this year, because of the size, three high school bands were playing. In honor of the performance, Dodd and assistant director Mike Pacula wrote a drum cadence based on the song Hi-Ho from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
While the streets were home for the marching band, the jazz ensemble took center floor at Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, where they offered plenty of Jimmy Buffet-style music.
Aside from the performances, the kids were also able to take in plenty of sight-seeing. Dodd said that the kids take great pride in their performance, and they know that is the reason they are there, but once the performances are over, they get to be giddy kids checking out all of the sights and sounds of Disney and the surrounding area, like Cocoa Beach, Clearwater, attending Pirates of Adventure Dinner Theater and having a private breakfast at The House of Blues.
What it all created was a memorable experience that the kids will not likely soon forget.
“It was better than I ever dreamed it would be,” said Sarah Lance, a junior in the marching band. “I thought we did a good job, although it was a little nerve-racking. There were so many people, and all of these little kids were cheering. It was fun because we got to go with all of our friends, and we made some awesome memories. I’d love to go back some time, not to play but just to experience it as a tourist.”
In preparation to go to Disney, the groups must have fundraisers over a two-year span. Dodd said that the participation of both the students and parents is vital to raising the funds for what is not a cheap endeavor. Still, he said it is well worth it, and noted that if they do it the right way, all of the hard work is taken care of before they even set foot on the bus to leave for Florida.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of the members, although some of the freshman may get to go again as seniors. If they do, they won’t take anything for granted, because they understand how hard they must work to get there.
“Disney is special,” said Rodhe. “It’s about as big of an event as you can sing at as a high school band or choir. I still have great memories from when I went as a student 10 years ago. The Disney experience is so unique, and I’m happy for the kids that got to experience what it’s like to go and perform under that kind of pressure, and make so many good memories with their friends at the same time.”