Choir goes to California
photo by Hagerty Choir
Members of this trip stand in line at Disneyland in anticipation. “It was really exciting to see how different Florida’s DisneyWorld was from California’s,” sophomore Emily Hanus said.
Sitting in the oldest church in San Diego on a Monday morning on March 28, choir students watched as their voices echoed off the walls of the Immaculate Conception Church.
Students got to experience a few days of restless adventures in California which included going to Disneyland and getting to experience the LAX airport.
As their last chance to spend one-on-one time with their seniors peers, many used this trip as a way to bond with them.
“This trip was a learning experience. It helped me learn new techniques in how to properly explore my voice and its range,” senior Karsyn Carriulo said. “I chose to go on the trip to make amazing memories with my friends, and I would definitely go again because of how fun it was.”
In preparation for the trip, choir teacher Christopher Hickey coordinated with a tour company called Bob Rogers Travel, who was able to make the trip’s itinerary as well as help decide on hotels and transportation. On the second day of the trip, the group was given the opportunity to meet with vocal professor Dr. Christopher Peterson from California State University.
This meeting allowed students to broaden their vocal cords,and sophomore Desiree Reyes was able to learn about her abilities through the meeting.
“I learned that our brains go on autopilot a lot when singing, so we have to work on getting out of that,” Reyes said.
The church was a lot cheaper for choir to use than a concert hall, and it worked just as well. It consisted of a huge hall with beautiful interior designs.
“It was mostly tile so it was acoustically really, really, beautiful,” Hickey said.
As a group, they sang “Modimo” and the school’s “Alma Mater.” Individual performances at the church were given by the same students who sang solo in Solo and Ensemble, which was held in February.
Despite the commotion of events during this trip, Hickey said one of his favorite memories came from just being able to see his students enjoy themselves.
“A lot of students got the chance to relax and bond with me, and with each other as well,” Hickey said. “I enjoyed seeing my kids have a good time with their friends and not have to worry about their quizzes next period.”
As their next event, on April 29, the choir curated their own version at the United Methodist Church of MPA states, and students were able to learn from professors from Stetson, UCF, Rollins, and Jacksonville.
Hickey continues to add educational experiences, in the midst of events that are able to allow students to also have fun.
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