Back from Their Magical Days in Disney

This article was submitted from Livingston Public Schools.

The Livingston High School Marching Band had the “experience of a lifetime” when they traveled to Walt Disney World and led the afternoon parade in front of a cheering crowd down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, band members said.

“This was the highlight of high school so far,” said Aaron Brunner, a 16-year-old percussionist in the band as he talked about the trip with some of the other band members and the directors Thursday after school in the band room.

“It went like clockwork,” said marching band co-director Michael Jedwabnik. “There was a nice appreciative crowd.”

The students could not believe how many Disney visitors cheered for them in the parade. “People were taking videos and photos of us performing in the parade,” said Brigid McDonald, a junior flute player in the band. “We were part of someone else’s Disney’s experience.”

“It was very special to see all of our work come together and for us to be a part of the Disney parade is a very honorable thing,” said Sanjay Pamaar, a junior percussionist in the band.

For Xander Edwards, a sophomore tuba player, the whole trip was “an experience of a lifetime.”

The highlights of Brigid’s trip were the Herbie the Lovebug themed room at the Disney All-Star Resort and “getting my photo with Winnie the Pooh at the Animal Kingdom.”

The students said they also had fun going on the rides with high school assistant principal Gary Suda who has a reputation for enjoying high roller coasters. The students said that he accompanied them on “The Tower of Tower” and the “Rock’n Roll Roller Coaster.”

The assistant principal, known for his resemblance to “Superman” told the students “Oh, I can fly higher,’” when he got off the roller coaster, they recounted.

The only negative of the trip was the heat, which made marching with wool uniforms a sweltering experience. “We got towels soaked in ice water and put them on our backs under our uniforms,” noted clarinet player Sara Vossler, a junior. The band members got to wear cooler polo shirts when the marched in Livingston’s Memorial Day parade, but Disney does not permit that, they said. So the kids cooled off in Splash Mountain afterwards.

As part of the fun, the band also got to see what goes on behind the scenes backstage at Disney World.  “What goes on at backstage Disney stays at backstage Disney,” Aaron and Sara laughed together. Just ask the band members about who was wearing the Minnie Mouse costume at the park that day.

The students left June 3 and returned late on June 6 after performing at on June 5. The visited the Animal Kingdom, Epcott, the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios before flying home. They traveled light with carry-on luggage while all of their instruments and regular luggage were transported in a truck driven by band parent the Rev. Rick Vossler of Grace Lutheran Church and Sara’s father.

While many high school marching bands submit audition tapes and are selected to perform on different stages at Disney World, only the are selected to lead the Magic Kingdom parade down Main Street, according to co-band director Jedwabnik, who has taken the band to Disney World in 2004 and 2001.

“Disney does it right and it is always fun,” he said. “It is about entertainment. Marching in the Magic Kingdom parade is a prestigious honor because you have to audition.”

Of the 64 students in the mid-sized Group 3 Level A band, 57 made the trip and performed next season’s routine, “Burning Love,” and “C.C. Rider” by Elvis Presley, said band co-director James Hegedus.

Each student paid $730 to go on the trip with many selling cheesecakes and cookie dough to reduce the costs for themselves.   

Allison Freeman is the Interim Manager of Communications and Community Outreach for Livingston Public Schools.