SM North’s marching band travels to California

Dec. 26 trip to San Diego aimed to help band students gain playing experience and have fun

by nora jaafar <opinions editor>

While most teens will be spending Winter Break with family, that is not necessarily the case for more than 115 marching band and flag team students, who will be traveling to San Diego, Calif., for a long-awaited trip.

Every four years, the SM North marching band, like many other bands around the region, takes an out-of-state trip to another city where they march in a parade while playing the school fight song and other selected musical pieces from the previous season’s show.

“Besides raising money for the trip,” band director, Chad Reed said, “we are finalizing performance sites and basic equipment rental.”

The cost of the trip was split up into four installments of $350, making the total for the trip $1,400. Although some may think it is too expensive, it was a price that 117 band and flag team students were willing to pay, along with 20 chaperones.

Sophomore Kelli Hearn, who was elected to be the junior drum major for next marching season, said she  is excited to experience the trip with all of her good friends close by.

The people who are going on the trip will be separated into two different planes because one plane is not big enough for everyone to go on. The first plane departs on Dec. 26 at about 9 a.m. The second will depart at about 11 a.m.

“I think it would have been better if we had all been on the same plane,” Hearn said, “but there’s really not much we can do about it.”

When the group arrives after a six-hour flight to San Diego, the band and flag team will rehearse their show that they have planned for the march down Main Street in the Disney Magic Music Days parade.

Other events for the group include seeing “The Lion King” musical at the aPantages Theater, going to Sea World and a day at Disneyland.

“Overall, I think this will be a great experience,” Reed said, “and it will be something to remember.”