When I first started planning this trip about a year and a half ago, the general comments were "are you crazy?" and "why would you voluntarily put yourself through that?". I was very fortunate to go through my own band career under directors that believed in travel. Mr. Bertles (my middle school director) LOVED rolled coasters, so we'd hit all of the major theme parks. Mr. Hooten (my high school director) planned the high school with every other year being a major competition or a band trip. Because of these two gentlemen, and a few "road trips" with band friends throughout the years, I have seen a vast amount of our great country! Because of band trips, I have seen the grand canyon, I have taken part in a presidential inauguration, I have seen a musical on Broadway, I have performed in Carnegie Hall, and I have memories that will last forever. Because of those band trips, I am the person I am today.
Being a part of the band is about SO much more than music.
I hope that for the rest of their lives, my students will be able to look back on their years in the Star City Band and remember the feelings that they shared with their band family. I am so incredibly proud of my students after this weekend in Chicago. Yes, they performed their hearts out, and brought home some very impressive ratings and rankings, but more importantly they were Respectful, they were Kind, they acted Positive (even when they bus was almost 2 hours late to start the trip), they followed all of the rules without complaint (even though I wouldn't let them buy a sword at Medieval times), and they represented themselves and our community in a manner that would make us all proud!
Thank you so much to all of Star City for your undying support of our students. Thank you for buying that cheesecake that you don't really want, and for the extra little donation at the car wash (even when the students miss a spot or 3). Thank you to the administration and school board for supporting these trips for our students, and for realizing that learning exists outside the classroom walls and encouraging the staff and students to go out and find their education. Thank you to the
incredible support of the band booster parents, without their support nothing like this trip could ever be possible! Lastly thank you to the incredible students of the Star City Band. Whether on the field at halftime, in a nursing home playing jazz, or on a stage in Chicago, you all never disappoint. Keep working hard and push yourself to be better than the day before, and the sky is the limit!
What's next....
Brian York, Director
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| thanks to our trip sponsors |
When I first started planning this trip about a year and a half ago, the general comments were "are you crazy?" and "why would you voluntarily put yourself through that?". I was very fortunate to go through my own band career under directors that believed in travel. Mr. Bertles (my middle school director) LOVED rolled coasters, so we'd hit all of the major theme parks. Mr. Hooten (my high school director) planned the high school with every other year being a major competition or a band trip. Because of these two gentlemen, and a few "road trips" with band friends throughout the years, I have seen a vast amount of our great country! Because of band trips, I have seen the grand canyon, I have taken part in a presidential inauguration, I have seen a musical on Broadway, I have performed in Carnegie Hall, and I have memories that will last forever. Because of those band trips, I am the person I am today.
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