After catching up on needed sleep the students were all down at the breakfast room in the hotel by 7:15 this morning looking very refreshed. Everyone was loaded with instruments on the bus and ready to roll by 8:00 and off to EPCOT!

The bus brought us to the “back stage” side of Disney which is always fascinating to see. The behind the scenes is not glamorous like the parks are but reveals the huge amount of work, equipment and people that go into supporting the daily workings of a day at EPCOT.

 Since the band arrived a bit early for their workshop their was time for taking some group photos and some students even found time for a quick game of cards in the warm Florida sunshine. By 9:15 we were welcomed by the Disney cast members and ushered into the studio where the workshop takes places. The studio is equipped for professional recording and projecting so during the workshop we were able to hear instant replays of their music and finally they even played the music for a portion of a Tarzan movie trailer!

The clinician was absolutely full of interesting information about his work as a professional musician at Disney for 17 years and was an outstanding saxophone player. He worked with the students on a number of pieces and was very impressed with their advanced sight reading skills and their excellent sound. By the end of the workshop he had them playing a 2.5 minute piece recorded to go behind the Tarzan animation (he normally only attempts to have the groups do about 60 second of music during a workshop) again, he was very impressed with the musicianship of the Shelburne students. 

After the workshop concluded and instruments were loaded back on to the bus, the students regrouped into their chaperone groups to explore EPCOT for the afternoon. Everyone gathered together again at the plaza in front of Italy at 8:00 p.m. to watch the spectacular “Illuminations” show. Lights, lasers, fireworks, other special effects and fantastic music filled the park for an amazing 30 minutes.

By 10:00 p.m. everyone was back in their hotel rooming exhausted but excited about the morning tomorrow which will include the first major performance here in the parks.

The news from Thursday.

Today began with breakfast in the hotel at 7:15 and the students were all on the buses by 7:45. We were greeted at MGM studios by a friend of Mr. Myers who had put together a unique opportunity for the SCS kids – an animation workshop. The students were whisked into the park past the crowds at the gate and brought into the animation studio. The students got to see the process for Disney animation and each student animated a Mickey Mouse figure as well. After the workshop the kids gathered into their chaperone groups and headed into the rest of MGM studios for a morning of fun.

After the thrills of the “Tower of Terror” and other rides the group was back on the bus at 1:00 and headed to the hotel to change for the afternoon performance. We arrived at the Downtown Disney ‘s pre-performance area where the Wind Ensemble had time to warm up and rehearse a bit before filing out into the public area in a long single file line. They looked very impressive in their formal attire carrying their instruments as they paraded into the Downtown Disney areas.

The stage was in an amphitheater setting and the kids performed about 30 minutes of music to a very enthusiastic audience. Again the stage workers at Disney had only the highest praise for the Shelburne students and their music ability. They said they were one of the finest bands that had performed at that stage all year. The wind was blowing steadily which made sheet music flutter and the sun shone very bright which made it very hot but, not of those distraction seemed to impact the kids enough to affect the quality of their performance!

After sitting in the sun for so long the students were very much in need of a cool down, so most students returned to the hotel for an hour at the pool for dinner at the Planet Hollywood restaurant. After dinner Mr. Myers had the group meet on a grassy hillside before returning to the hotel and we had a moment to talk about the experiences of the week and reflect on the successes that have come from their year of practice back at school. The conversation concluded with Mr. Myers being lost in the middle of a hug from a throng of the students…

By 9:30 we were back at the hotel and settling in to pack our bags for the morning departure.. 

The news from Friday:

Today we were able to “sleep-in” until 7:00 and every one was packed and loaded on the bus with suitcases and instruments by 9:00. We headed for the thrills at Animal Kingdom and the students had the morning to ride some of the most exciting rides including the roller-coaster in Mount Everest and the Dinosaur Ride. The kids seem to never tire of the spins and drops of the rides. Others took the safari ride and saw all kinds of native African animals and others watched some of the shows that they offer including “Nemo’s Adventure.”

This was the first day since they arrived when the students did not have the pressure of performing within the day so the mood was very light and relaxed as they felt the sense of the concerts being behind them and the stress was off. Again the students were perfectly behaved and stayed with their chaperones and looked out for each other. Some students bought their chaperones gifts of thanks for the week and other bought pins or hats for each other. The warm feeling within the group after five days in such close quarters together is tangible. 

Now we are at the Orlando Airport waiting for our flight to New York and then connection flight on to Burlington. Everyone is checked in and through security and looking over their pictures in their digital cameras and comparing roller coaster stories. 

As the tour escort, it has been a real pleasure to travel with this nice group of students. In five days I have not heard one unkind word between kids. I have heard students helping each other remember items, helping each other straighten bow-ties, helping each other by sharing sun screen and looking out that no one gets lost or left behind. The students have been stunning representatives of Shelburne, of the school and have truly been “Vermont Ambassadors” here in Orlando.