Submitted by Emily Bebenek
The MBJH and MBHS bands traveled to Disney World this past March to both perform in parades and learn in the Sunset Studios.
Every year, the Mountain Brook junior high and high school bands take a trip where they expand their musical horizons while throwing in an element of fun. This March, the band traveled to Disney World to be a part of something truly amazing.
On the first day, after enjoying rides in every land of Magic Kingdom, the marching band was given the incredible opportunity to march through Disney World’s most famous park, right down Main Street itself. The following day, junior high students began their day by participating in the performing arts workshop experience at Sunset Studios where they learned how to play Disney classics and make recordings of their new songs.
Rising sophomore Kate Griffin, a percussionist, recalled, “I think the workshop in and of itself was pretty great. I learned that the Disney songs were pretty easy to figure out since you already knew the basic tunes and had the music right in front of you. When you went in there it was like some sort of shiny percussive wonderland. It had all these gadgets and drums and such that made so many different sounds and it was really cool to find out how they all worked.”
Each day after the parades, attending workshops and enjoying rides in all the parks, band members reunited to watch the impressive firework displays. For five straight days, everyone on the trip ran on adrenaline, squeezing in every possible opportunity to hop on a ride and soak in all things Disney.
“Not only did we have a fantastic time in the parks, but we also had the opportunity to represent the band program here and the community as a whole. I think that there is something very honorable and exciting about that and it adds to the experience of being there,” Will Welsh, the newly elected drum major for the upcoming season, said.
This isn’t the first time the Mountain Brook Marching Band has had the opportunity to be a part of something special.
In December of 2016, the band was invited to Hawaii to be a part of the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, comprised of a few select bands from across the nation and the world. Next summer, they have been invited to France to play again for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.
With all of these exciting events, it can sometimes be hard to remember what the band is really about. But the students lucky enough to be a part of this amazing group never forget that their focus is to make beautiful music and better memories.
Submitted by Emily Bebenek
