In order to further their knowledge and love of music, members of the orchestra and teacher Lasaundra Booth took New York City by storm over spring break.
Known as the concrete jungle and the city of opportunities, each student derived something different from the music-related experience.
“My favorite part was walking around Times Squares. It was so pretty with all of the big advertisements, billboards and glittering lights,” freshman Rayne Goodman said.
Leaving with a full heart and sparked dreams, junior Danielle Cuntapay decided that after a visit to the Manhattan School of Music, a career in the arts was her forte.
“This actually only further motivated me to pursue a career in music. We took a tour of the Manhattan School of Music, and there were students who explained how much music meant to them, and I really like it, and it inspired me. We also had a speaker who was telling us how we can use music to do different things, like communicate,” Cuntapay said.
The students learned the initial process of admission into the Manhattan School of Music, allowing them to see what it truly takes in order to succeed in terms of admissions.
“They would have a blind audition where you would be behind a screen playing and professors would be on the other side ,listening. Then, they would choose kids to go to the next rounds and have a chance to attend the school,” Goodman said.
Not all students were moved like Cuntapay. The trip was ultimately the deciding factor in sophomore Charles Flowers’ future career path.
“Honestly, this trip did not inspire me. It just helped me decide that I want to be a doctor and keep orchestra as a hobby,” Flowers said.
Despite the educational tour of the Manhattan School of Music, the trip was not all work. In order to grasp the full New York feel, the students and Booth attended the Broadway production of the Lion King.
“I’m not going to lie, the Lion King was my favorite part. At first I thought it was going to be really childish, but it was really good. The performance was amazing, and I felt like I could relate to the characters. It was just really cute,” Cuntapay said.
Aside from viewing the famous play, the students were given the opportunity to work with someone who looks at the Lion King from a different point of view.
“My favorite part of the trip was getting to do the workshop with the conductor from the Lion King.
“It was cool being able to meet someone who worked with Broadway productions who knew how everything works. It was cool to hear his ideas about how you can play a piece one way and change one thing and play it completely differently,” senior Sophia Eisenhardt said.
Returning home changed by the experience, the students ultimately will not forget their trip to the big city.
Senior Victoria Crane said, “I came back from the trip as more united with my orchestra family, and it was fun to see the New York philharmonic orchestra. They are who we want to be like, so the whole thing was just really cool.”