A Big Bite out of the Big Apple
What a great day in May we had in NYC with the Parkland School District Middle School Honors Orchestra! This was the first time this group had taken a trip and we packed the day full of great experiences for them. They are an amazing group of young musicians, led by Grammy Finalist for Music Educator in 2015, Debra Reilly. She sets impressively high standards for this group and boy, do they deliver!
We began with a fantastic and inspiring clinic led by Adam Glaser, conductor of the Performance Clinic, music workshop, music tourJulliard Pre-College Orchestra. He was very impressed with their level of preparation and talent and helped them focus in on some details that would make their performance later that day even more exciting. Adam immediately put the students at ease, and engaged them throughout their 90 minute clinic in such a way that it seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. As we had just a few hours to get everything done, and in the true fashion of working musicians, we ate on the run. Although in style having yummy box lunches from the Earl of Sandwich and a comfy, air conditioned motor coach to whisk the group across town to their performance venue.
We arrived at Trump Tower Ny on 5th Avenue and quickly loaded the group into the atrium for a lunchtime 45 minute concert. The space is beautiful to look at and with the wonderful concert, consisting of great orchestral music from the movies, filling the entire atrium – quite an appreciative crowd gathered. They played very well and received so many compliments on their work from the public as they were packing up to move on to the next event.
When we think of all the shows on broadway that appeal to middle school students, especially instrumentalists, it is hard to pick a better match than the Lion King! The music is fantastic, the musicians in the pit and up in the box seats are fantastic and, of course, the show is a feast for the eyes and ears! We had a great time and everyone loved it from the first moment till the last.
From there it was off to Planet Hollywood for dinner, where we queue up along some famous handprints waiting to be seated. These kids happily filled any wait time taking photos – as evidenced by this “group selfie”! We had a great meal and then hopped back on the bus and headed home after a very successful Orchestra Performance Tour to the Big Apple!