This year the music department is going on a Disney World trip in Florida over spring break. This trip is a big deal because it involves band, choir, orchestra and it’s also the last trip Diane Heaney, the choir director, will be taking before she retires. The three directors going on this trip are Suzanne Mauer, Diane Heaney and Rebekah Crissinger. 

The plan for the trip is the students will stop at the Missouri Veteran home and perform their songs. Afterwards, they will go to Disney World where they will visit all four main parks and perform at the Good Samaritan Retirement Village in Orlando. 

The students are very excited to go on the trip, such as Angel Hernandez who plays flute for band and sings tenor for choir. He states, “I’ve never been to Florida, so it’s very exciting.” The students say they have been working very hard to practice for the trip. ”We’ve been practicing since January with three new songs,” says Erika Saindon, who plays the alto saxophone. 

What made Heaney want to do this trip was realizing these students hadn’t had the opportunity to do something like this in a while due to Covid and other complications. “Plus- since I am retiring, this is the time to do it!” says Heaney. The choir portion will be five songs, and the choir will sing, and then the band and orchestra will combine to perform at their two destinations. The bus ride will be around 18 hours and they are planning on stopping on the way there and back. The choir department has gone on many trips, such as New Orleans, England, Scotland and Hawaii, but they have never been to Florida and it should be a good/fun experience for everyone involved. 

Mauer wanted to do this trip with her students because she has gone to Florida with the band before, but thought it would be fun to have the choir come along due to them not being able to go to Europe last year. “I really like all the pieces we are doing, but I think the medley from Les Miserables is probably my favorite.” says Mauer. 

The Orchestra will also be going on this trip. They will be playing some songs by themselves and some with the choir and band. They are all very excited for the trip.

Florida is a fun experience to get students involved and makes it feel like you are part of a big group, if you ever get the chance to go, take it!