By: Meghan Byrne | Writer
May 17, 2018
On Wednesday, March 28, as most San Clemente High School students eagerly anticipated the start of spring break, SCHS band students boarded a flight from the San Diego International Airport. At 5AM the following morning, they touched down at the JFK International Airport in Queens, New York. This year, the band students enjoyed the unique opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall in New York City, which brought them to this moment — the beginning of their five-day adventure in NYC.
Within their first few hours in the Big Apple, the group delved into their experience of the famous city with a tour of the Statue of Liberty. For many of the band students, this was their first visit to the east coast, so the typical “tourist attractions” brought with them the excitement of adventure in an unfamiliar city. Later in the day, they toured lower Manhattan, following closely the busy itinerary planned for their trip.
The second day, the band students had a packed schedule, beginning with a practice at a rehearsal studio for Carnegie. They then continued with their voyage through New York, taking in a view of the city the top of the Rockefeller Plaza, participating in a walking tour of Times Square, and visiting the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
“The best part for me was Times Square,” says senior Daniel Vigil. “It really lives up to the hype, like in the movies and on TV.” That night, the students enjoyed a broadway performance of Anastasia and anticipated their own performance at Carnegie the next day with a mixture of excitement and anxiety.
On the third day of the trip, the group toured Central Park, then at 3:30 on March 31, the SCHS band students prepared to play in the famous Carnegie Hall. Their performance included pieces such as “The Great Locomotive Chase” and “Rites of Tamburo” — pieces they had practiced for two hours the day before.
The students describe a mixture of awe and disbelief at the opportunity to perform at Carnegie. “My personal experience with playing at Carnegie was that it was almost intangible, even though we were there — I was able to perform at a place that few people do,” says senior Chris Baker. “It was hard to take in the fact that I was performing there and that eventually we would all get a standing ovation.”
For many, Carnegie was the obvious highlight of the five-day trip. “Playing in Carnegie Hall was very influential because when we were finished, I knew I wanted to go back there when I was older and be one of the greats,” says sophomore Leonel Gomez.
But the band’s performance was only halfway through their stay in the city. The group had plenty of free time throughout the remainder of the trip, giving them the opportunity to explore the city on their own.“My favorite part of the trip was when we got to stray from the group with our friends and just explore the town,” says junior Foster Poling.
Fourth-day attractions included Columbia College, Harlem, the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, and Fifth Avenue. As they took in the sights and sounds of New York, the students snapped a plethora of pictures by which to remember their experiences.
On the final day of the trip, the students visited Ellen’s Stardust Diner, a retro-themed restaurant illuminated by neon lights. Then it was time to head home.
The students say that the trip passed by in the blink of an eye, but their memories of their time in New York City will endure, particularly for the band’s seniors, for whom the trip offered the perfect senior year adventure.
“Knowing that I played on the same stage that Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington played on — that alone made me feel so accomplished,” says Vigil.
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