Tuesday, February 14, 2017
News
The Spoke is published seven times per year at Bartash Printing. It consistently receives a Gold rating from PSPA and CSPA, and it is a National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award-winning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.
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2 The Spoke
Music department says ‘Aloha’ to Hawaii over spring break By Brooke Deasy and Maddie Lamonica Staff Reporters Each year, the Kapolei Choral Festival brings together both high school and college choirs to celebrate Hawaiian culture on the island of Oahu. This year, Conestoga’s choral groups will be the first from the mainland to perform in the event. It “is super exciting to know we are influencing (the Hawaiians’) image of not only teenagers, but of other Americans who are not from Hawaii,” junior Max Mooney said. “I imagine that getting the opportunity to perform at something so special will bring us closer and really inspire us to realize the power and influence of music.” From April 6-12, over 200 ’Stoga students will travel 4,787 miles to Honolulu as part of the music department’s biennial trip to a special location, where students will perform at a competition or festival. For previous trips, students have traveled to Hawaii, Orlando, Fla. and the Bahamas. Christopher Nation, director of the Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble, and the teacher of several music-centered electives, believes that the trip will serve as a great experience for the students traveling to Hawaii. “Hawaii is an amazing educational experience for our students,” Nation said. “They will be participating in oncein-a-lifetime performances during the trip, as well as experiencing diverse cultural activities and landmarks.” To raise money for the trip, students and staff held several Hawaii-specific fundraisers, including the music department’s Soundscapes Concert, a Springer’s ice cream sale and a mattress sale. Some selections from the Soundscapes Concert, such as “Eternal Father” and “Salute to the Armed Forces,” will also be performed in Hawaii. All of the regular groups performed, in addition to the a capella groups, selected student ensembles, soloists and a number from this year’s musical, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” The Soundscapes Concert “was an amazing night,” choir member and sophomore Gwen
Maddie Lamonica/The SPOKE
Eager voices: The entire music department performs “America the Beautiful” for the finale of the Soundscapes Concert. A variety of acts were showcased to raise funds for the music department’s trip to Hawaii. Charles said. “It really showcased the immense amount of talent in the music department. It was so cool to see everyone together and was a very successful night — we raised money from all of the ticket sales and received donations.” The music department faculty and other administrators have been preparing for the trip since last January. They have booked performances, arranged transportation, selected hotels and scheduled various activities for the students ranging from relaxing on the beach to visiting historical sites. “The only time we could go was the week of spring break because the music department calendar is so packed with events that there were few windows of opportunity and because we are going to Hawaii, we needed six days (for the trip) because of just how long it takes to travel there,” choral director Suzanne Dickinger said. Before planning the itinerary, Dickinger contacted a former student of hers who is currently teaching at a university in Hawaii. “I emailed (the student), asking if he had any ideas for a
choral performance we could have and he said that it just so happened that a good friend of his does a choral festival for high school and college choirs every year and it happened to be on the day after we arrive,” Dickinger said. In addition to attending the Kapolei Choral Festival, music department students from band and orchestra will perform on deck of the U.S.S. Missouri at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor — the resting place of the sailors and Marines killed on the U.S.S. Arizona during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941. Also at the memorial, the Wind Ensemble and Camerata will perform a mini-concert as part of a special tribute program in Hawaii. Nation is counting down the days until they depart for Hawaii. “I am very much looking forward to the trip, especially the performances in Pearl Harbor,” Nation said. “Seeing Pearl Harbor is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our students, let alone performing on one of the most significant memorials in American history.”
Besides touring Pearl harbor, students will also hike up Diamond Head at Waikiki Beach, explore the Hanauma Bay State Park nature preserve, visit the Polynesian Cultural Center and view an authentic Hawaiian Luau. This year’s trip to Hawaii differs from those in the past because of the cultural atmosphere, historical significance of event locations and the number of activities open to students. “Hawaii is on a whole other level, Disney is much more laid back,” Dickinger said. After months of anticipation, students look forward to the trip. “I think of the music department as a huge family and getting the opportunity to spend time with them in a new place and experience it all for the first time together will be a blast,” Mooney said. Dickinger believes the most special part of the trip will be the musical performances. “The beaches are beautiful, the weather is lovely, the fresh fruit is unbelievable. All that is great, but it is the performances that you couldn’t get anywhere else,” Dickinger said.