A once in a lifetime opportunity.
Invited to preform in London this last December, PCHS orchestra members enjoyed an unforgettable experience that they will take with them for the rest of their lives. Along with the memories made away from home, they will also have more experience and achievements to add to their resumes as they get ready for college.
“There’s so many amazing parts about the trip, however I think my favorite part was knowing that the students had this incredible opportunity and an experience that they would carry with them for the rest of their lives, and to have it in high school and to take that to college to show that they debuted a brand new piece about the weather in Oklahoma internationally, so just that alone to be able to put on a college resume, to carry with them in the future is just a once in a lifetime experience. And I’m just so glad I was able to be a part of it,” Assistant Orchestra Director Ms. Stocks said.
Getting to show people back home how far they have made it through music, the students are proud of themselves. Three years ago, all three high schools in PC began preparing for their trip outside the country.
“Being able to play in London was such a great experience because we were all over the news and everyone knew we were there, the only orchestra that got invited to London,” senior Joana Moraz said.
Planning for London was a long process for both the directors and students. This was a trip that students mainly depended on themselves for the payments along with a few opportunities for fundraising over the last few years raising $3,800 for each student.
“We rehearsed three times a month and then all of the orchestras rehearsed together about five or six times. We had a couple of fundraising opportunities, but other than that it was up to us to raise the money,” junior Eliott Miller said.
Going out of their way to plan the trip for orchestra students, the directors were pleased with the mark left on them throughout the trip. Watching as their kids got to experience a different culture, seeing the reactions when they played in London was a different kind of experience.
“I had two favorite parts [from the trip] one was our performance, just getting all of the high schools together and preforming as one unified group was a very special experience. My second favorite part was getting to see all the student’s reactions in a different culture, some of our students had never been on a plane before, or some had never been out of the states so it was good to see students’ reactions outside the country,” Orchestra Director Mr. Waddell said.
Story by McKenzie Melton
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