Elkhorn Area High School Band marches in Disney World parade, gets to experience a little ‘Disney Magic’
By Kellen Olshefski
SLN Staff
It wasn’t too long ago that members of the Elkhorn Area High School band hopped on a bus and departed on a trip that would quickly turn into a memorable one, one that none of them would ever forget.
Earlier this year, the group loaded up their uniforms and instruments and took off for the warmer climates of Lake Buena Vista, Fla., where they took to the grounds of Walt Disney World and together, shared an unforgettable experience where they not only got to perform before large crowds prepared for the afternoon parade, but also got to take part in some of the Disney movie-making “magic” themselves.
Monday night, High School Band Director Sarah Tauchen and seven students shared their experiences from the trip with the Elkhorn Area School District Board of Education.
The parade experience
The first major opportunity for the Elkhorn Area High School Band was kicking off Walt Disney World’s afternoon parade at the Magic Kingdom the one day, marching and performing about 15 minutes ahead of the parade.
And of course, they were all gifted and adorned with the traditional Disney World garment: Mickey Mouse ears.
Board Member David Stebnitz said one of the neat things about the parade is the high school band was really the focus, being 15 minutes ahead of the first floats in the rest of the parade.
Senior Brad Baas said he thought performing in the parade in front of many people was a really cool opportunity, noting he didn’t think people would be paying attention to the band before the parade.
“But they really did line up along fences on the street and watch us,” he said. “That was really neat.”
Senior Erica Maddix, who served as drum major for the band in the parade, said being out front was a bit nerve-wrecking, but echoed Baas’s comments, noting it was great to be able to work hard to get that far and perform in front of spectators at Disney who gave them their full attention.
Additionally, Tauchen noted Maddix worked out a mace routine for the parade, a big accomplishment for her.
“It was hard, but it turned out pretty good,” Maddix said.
Senior Sarah Regnier, a part of the color guard, said it was both a fun and funny experience, noting when they got to the park and were lined up for the parade, it was a bit of surprise for her, learning the color guard would lead off the parade.
Regnier said the whole situation felt really professional.
“We stood and we waited and she was like, ‘smiles, because it’s Disney and Disney is a happy place,” she said.
Movie-making magic
In a workshop on Disney grounds, students got to work with Disney Performing Arts Studio to learn a piece of music and record it along with an infamous scene from Disney’s “The Lion King.”
Senior Nicolas Aguirre said what they really focused on at the workshop was learning to play professionally right away with little practice.
“How to make sure how you hit the notes and to put the time and dedication in to make music the best it can be right away,” he said.
Maddix said spending ten minutes sight-reading a piece was a little daunting, though it was a cool experience to learn and work at in a short time to try and fit perfection.
Tauchen said students sight-read five or six different pieces in the first hour, hour and half of the workshop, and then focused for about 40-minutes on the “Lion King” piece.
“They did get a little bit more practice, but still much shorter amount of time than what we do for our concerts and our curriculum where we’re spending five or six weeks learning new music,” she said. “So, they really had to be on their game, focused and doing the absolute best they could every minute that they could.”
Jeff Glassel, a father of one of the students on the trip, said he used to work for Disney before moving to Wisconsin, looking at audition material from band students just like those from Elkhorn. Furthermore, he noted this was a huge accomplishment for the school.
“I can tell you all it is not everybody,” he said. “It is a selection, they are invited and it really says a lot about the program that they were invited to come perform at Disney.
“From someone that’s been on the inside, they did you proud.”
Overall experience
Senior Liz George said she feels like members of the high school band grew together, became a bit closer after the Disney trip, noting they all were spending time with people they normally don’t get to spend time with outside of the normal 45-minute class.
She said students went on rides together, ate together and hung out at the hotel together.
“I just thought it was really cool to talk to people I don’t normally talk to on a normal basis,” she said.
Freshman Hunter Breber echoed George’s sentiments, noting being a freshman amongst mostly upperclassmen, she made a lot of new friends and it also motivated her to become a better musician and join the others.
“I remember thinking, when I get back I’m going to practice so much my brother pays me to stop,” she said.
Amber Glassel said a big highlight for her was seeing what her parents used to do before they moved from Florida to Wisconsin when she was 9.
Finally, Baas, on behalf of the entire band, thanked Tauchen for taking them on the trip and all of the work she put in to make the trip happen.
