Revere High School’s (RHS) Music Department traveled to New York City (NYC) for a weekend of educational and cultural experiences.
Members of the RHS choir, orchestra and band had a unique opportunity, not available to other tourists.
Sierra Pabon, the choir director for grades eight to twelve, led the choir students for the trip.
“We [traveled] to New York to not only see the sights and experience the culture of a new place, but to also get some masterclasses and clinics with professionals in the field,” Pabon said.
The first stop of the trip was The Pennsylvania State University. The students performed in front of the heads of each music department and Associate Professor Dr. Robert Gardner, who gave lectures and advised the students to help them improve.
Joshua Bowman, the orchestra director, described how working with the professors exposed the students to different points of view and new ideas.
“To hear from Dr. Gardner about things I’ve already said, but to hear it from a different voice might help. They hear from a different voice and all of a sudden it clicks. And then maybe a slightly different idea that I’ve never even seen yet before,” Bowman said.
In NYC, the students took in cultural and educational experiences, including famous sights and a workshop with a Hamilton cast member.
“We [saw] some cool places like Rockefeller Center, we are doing a backstage tour of Radio City Music Hall, we get a couple of different roadway performances, and a New York Philharmonic performance. Those are just so we can see the kind of performing arts in action in that new space,” said Pabon.
Laura Fondran, a freshman member of the orchestra, explained some of the musicals and other activities that stood out to her.
“We [got] to see musicals. We [saw] Hadestown, MJ the Musical, and then we’re [went] on a cruise to see New York at night,” Fondran said.
In preparation for the trip, the music department practiced songs and performances from throughout the year.
“We have been working this whole year to establish our repertoire for New York City. So we [brought] back some old pieces that we did in the fall and winter concerts. We’ve really been using this whole year to prepare and kind of hone in on what we want to perform,” Pabon said.
Going into the trip, the directors of the music departments had high hopes for the trip.
“I’m hoping that the students get a really good opportunity to see what professional musicians do,” Bowman said.
“I hope that they get an experience that they would not [have] ever received unless they went on this trip with us. So it is a completely uniquely designed experience that has some different experiences and opportunities that you wouldn’t get if you just traveled to New York yourself,” Pabon said
When asked if the trip met Fondran’s expectations, she gave a definite answer.
“Oh for sure, It was amazing,” said Fondran.
