Academy band and choir students embarked on a week long trip to the East Coast during spring break.

Band director Keith Higaki said, “Originally, we were looking for a clinic that we could perform at or learn from either a college professor or other performing arts musician but due to the time of year and with college breaks and all, nothing was available for us. We then decided to keep it an educational tour and visited significant areas related to our country’s history. We did have an awesome musical experience seeing ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ on Broadway!”

Choir director Dr. Alec Schumacker also enjoyed the trip. “Mostly, it was an experience, a chance to visit the East Coast and see what it’s like. The students had lots of fun.”

Students visited major cities on the East Coast, including New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. They also viewed historical sites, including Arlington National Cemetery, Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, the White House, the National Archives and the Smithsonian museums and the Kennedy Performing Arts Center, in Washington,D.C.,  the Juilliard School in New York City and Independence Hall.

Freshman band student Daryl Bolosan said, “I had fun seeing the Smithsonian museum and learning about American history. My favorite part of the whole trip was seeing the ‘Phantom of the Opera’ Broadway performance and meeting the cast at the cast dinner before the show.”

The trip was open to band students in the intermediate level and above and to Select and Concert Choir students.