Post by we4 on Dec 27, 2007 8:09:13 GMT -6
From the Daily Herald www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=102368&src=76
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Several hundred area high school musicians are marching south for winter break.
Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools are sending some of their most talented musicians to perform at college football bowl games in the next week.
Central students will play at the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta on New Year's Eve while Neuqua and Waubonsie students will head to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., on New Year's Day.
"We're absolutely excited to have the opportunity to represent the school and community on a national level," Waubonsie Band Director Josh Chodoroff said. "Students are excited to perform in such a visible setting in a huge crowd and great stadium. And to get out of Illinois to nice weather ... will be a nice break as well."
Students had opportunities to raise money for the trip and are otherwise paying their own way.
Waubonsie's Marching Warriors will perform in the Outback Bowl parade and halftime show and also make a trip to Orlando, Fla., to take part in the Magic Kingdom SpectroMagic Parade and You're Instrumental music workshop.
While there, they'll tour all four Walt Disney World theme parks and take in a fireworks show at Busch Gardens in Tampa.
Sister school Neuqua Valley is taking several groups to the festivities. The symphonic band and wind symphony will perform at the Outback Bowl Concert Band Festival and the jazz band and ensemble will both perform at the jazz festival.
The Marching Wildcats will hit the field at halftime as the Tennessee Volunteers take on the Wisconsin Badgers and also will march in the Outback Bowl parade.
"To play for a big crowd in the parade and in the halftime show for a televised big bowl game, if you've never stood on a football field in front of all those people cheering, that's an experience," Band Director Bill Jastrow said. "The kids will stand on the field with their mouths hanging open."
Neuqua senior drum majorette Ashley Knorr said she is excited about "seeing all the bands from all over playing the halftime show and representing so many different states."
She also is looking forward to visiting the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., which is on the list of tourist activities along with watching New Year's fireworks at Busch Gardens and take a dinner-dance cruise.
Meanwhile, Naperville Central's wind ensemble, jazz studio orchestra and Marching Redhawks will be just north in the Peach State to perform in the Chick-fil-A halftime show, concert band music festival and jazz festival. The Redhawks have been selected as the honor band for the event and will lead the parade.
They'll also take in all Atlanta has to offer, including the CNN studios, Coca-Cola bottling plant, Centennial Olympic Park and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.
"My hope is that they feel rewarded for the work that they have done," said Central Band Director D.J. Alstadt.
"And to perform in front of a national audience is a fantastic experience for a child and, hopefully, something they will take back and remember for years to come of their high school experience."
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Several hundred area high school musicians are marching south for winter break.
Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools are sending some of their most talented musicians to perform at college football bowl games in the next week.
Central students will play at the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta on New Year's Eve while Neuqua and Waubonsie students will head to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., on New Year's Day.
"We're absolutely excited to have the opportunity to represent the school and community on a national level," Waubonsie Band Director Josh Chodoroff said. "Students are excited to perform in such a visible setting in a huge crowd and great stadium. And to get out of Illinois to nice weather ... will be a nice break as well."
Students had opportunities to raise money for the trip and are otherwise paying their own way.
Waubonsie's Marching Warriors will perform in the Outback Bowl parade and halftime show and also make a trip to Orlando, Fla., to take part in the Magic Kingdom SpectroMagic Parade and You're Instrumental music workshop.
While there, they'll tour all four Walt Disney World theme parks and take in a fireworks show at Busch Gardens in Tampa.
Sister school Neuqua Valley is taking several groups to the festivities. The symphonic band and wind symphony will perform at the Outback Bowl Concert Band Festival and the jazz band and ensemble will both perform at the jazz festival.
The Marching Wildcats will hit the field at halftime as the Tennessee Volunteers take on the Wisconsin Badgers and also will march in the Outback Bowl parade.
"To play for a big crowd in the parade and in the halftime show for a televised big bowl game, if you've never stood on a football field in front of all those people cheering, that's an experience," Band Director Bill Jastrow said. "The kids will stand on the field with their mouths hanging open."
Neuqua senior drum majorette Ashley Knorr said she is excited about "seeing all the bands from all over playing the halftime show and representing so many different states."
She also is looking forward to visiting the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., which is on the list of tourist activities along with watching New Year's fireworks at Busch Gardens and take a dinner-dance cruise.
Meanwhile, Naperville Central's wind ensemble, jazz studio orchestra and Marching Redhawks will be just north in the Peach State to perform in the Chick-fil-A halftime show, concert band music festival and jazz festival. The Redhawks have been selected as the honor band for the event and will lead the parade.
They'll also take in all Atlanta has to offer, including the CNN studios, Coca-Cola bottling plant, Centennial Olympic Park and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.
"My hope is that they feel rewarded for the work that they have done," said Central Band Director D.J. Alstadt.
"And to perform in front of a national audience is a fantastic experience for a child and, hopefully, something they will take back and remember for years to come of their high school experience."