Road trip: banding together in Cleveland, Ohio

After three years of uncertainty during the pandemic, the ARHS band, choir, and orchestra finally organized their first big field trip, to Cleveland, Ohio.

Kendra Saunders is an ARHS senior and a band student who attended the trip. “It used to happen every year but ever since COVID, we haven’t had one,” they said. Many attendees, including Saunders, said that this trip was an unforgettable experience.

The main organizers were music teachers Kara Nye, Yasuaki Suzuki, and Todd Fruth. The music ensembles had different options for their yearly trip: New York City, Montreal, or Cleveland. They ultimately decided on Ohio. 

On May 4, the music ensembles left with two buses on an early Thursday morning. It took them nine to ten hours to drive to their destination. After their long journey, they had two options for the night: either Whirly Ball or see the Cleveland orchestra concert. 

Jlane Daly, a junior in the choir, and Saunders both chose Whirly Ball. Whirly Ball is an amusement complex that offers whirlyball courts, private bowling lanes, laser tag, and a cafe/bar area. “I did all three: whirlyball, bowling, and laser tag,” said Daly. 

On Friday, the music ensembles could go to either the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame or the Cleveland Museum of Art. Both Daly and Saunders went to the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

“I like music a lot, and it’s very music-oriented,” Saunders said. “And it was cool to see the bands and the artists my parents listened to and always talk about. And also how they contribute to the birth of rock n roll.” 

After four hours of sightseeing at the museums, the crew headed to Case Western University. First, the music ensembles took a tour of Case Western University. Then they met up with music professors on campus. The professors shared advice for the performances they would have on Saturday. 

Afterward, the group went to a playhouse. They had the option to see a musical performance: “A New Sherlock Holmes” or “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” 

Benjamin Haugsjaahabink is a high school senior who’s part of the band and watched the show “Aint’s Misbehavin’.” My favorite part was probably seeing the Broadway show “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” he said. The theatres there are so old, grand, and absolutely gorgeous. According to a lady I was talking to (who works in the theatre), the Cleveland theatre district is the second largest in the US, next to Broadway. The play was a tribute to Fats Waller and included just five actors. There was no plot, just a vast collection of songs that were acted out. It was stunning, they were all such amazing singers.”

Fast forward to Saturday. The music ensembles performed at the middle school and high school competitions in Cleveland, where judges evaluated their performances. “I wasn’t really nervous. I’m used to doing school concerts, and going to a different state didn’t make it any different,” said Daly.

The choir performed first out of the group and sang “Hymn of Acxiom,” by Vienna Teng and “Ner Ner,” by Jake Runestad. Then the orchestra went and played Serenade for Strings, Op. 22: II by Antonín Dvořák and Mozart Symphony No.25: I by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. And finally, the band performed “Reminiscence” by Kathryn Salfelder and “Night Chase” by Chandler Wilson. 

It was a wild ride of emotions for the music ensembles. “The competition felt rushed and stressful,” said Haugsjaahabink. “We expected to come out to a stage that was already set up for us so we could just sit down and play, but it wasn’t ready at all. We had to take several minutes to get ourselves situated, which made the whole thing more stressful.” 

In the end, it all worked out. Later that night, there was an awards night for the performers as the judges assessed their concerts. The band received an “Excellent” score, and the choir and orchestra scored “Superior.” 

After the performances, their hard work paid off by going to an amusement park. The music ensembles went to Cedar Point, the second, for 8 hours with tons of rollercoasters and games.  “That was my favorite part of the trip,” said Daly. “We rode on a bunch of rides and got food. I was screaming a lot but I haven’t been on them in a while.”

After the music ensembles returned to their hotel, they prepared for the trip back to Amherst. On Sunday morning, they drove back to Amherst and said goodbye to Cleveland but it lives on in their memories!