By Caroline Low
This spring all five choral ensembles at Guyer choir program got the opportunity to travel to Houston and Galveston with their teachers Mr. Fox and Ms. Engle. About 42 students and the parents who volunteered as chaperones drove down on a bus for five hours to southeast Texas. This trip aimed to create a stronger bond among all the members of the program and served as a farewell for the Senior students. It allowed them to experience singing with choir members from all different levels and it helped bring them closer as individuals.
Guyer students expressed that choir is an excellent way to make music and work into making the most beautiful sounds. It is also an excellent way to meet new people because of the shared common interests. Some advice that they would give incoming freshmen interested in choir is that it is an amazing program with wonderful people, they would tell them to trust the singing process and have fun with the music.
On the trip, they got the chance to do many different activities, but the main highlight was the opportunity to sing all together. The first day, they toured Houston University, visited their music hall, and watched the percussionists practice. They also got to practice singing in their choir room which was designed to offer the best level of acoustic. The following day, they challenged themselves by singing on stage at the Galveston pier to an open audience. Anyone who walked by could enjoy The students said that this was a little different than what they normally do, but it was fun singing in a different environment.
They also got to do some other fun activities such as, going to a place called Urban Air where they jumped on trampolines, went on ziplines, did obstacle courses, drove go-karts, went on rope courses, etc… The next day they visited NASA to learn and experience all about space. Later they went to the beach and rode rides over the water. Finally, on the last day, they went to a water park called Schlitterbahn and had fun on various slides. Although the students said it was freezing that day, they had a blast!
Ayla Jones and Emma Beeks, sophomores who went on the choir trip, expressed how they felt about it. Ayla Jones said, “It was fun! I loved hanging out with choir people and the directors who are the best. I wish that I could go back.” Emma Beeks said, “My favorite part about the trip was when almost all of the choir students, including Ms. Engle and Mr. Fox, went on a ride that involved swings high up in the air at the pier in Galveston. It was so much fun to see and listen to everyone.” The choir students noted that the trip was a gigantic success and that everyone had an amazing time. Socializing with others during field trips can develop and strengthen people’s social skills. They can learn how to communicate better, work in teams, and respect other people’s opinions. This builds confidence and develops social skills that are essential for success later in life. The choir trip was effective in all of these aspects and the choir students expressed how they can’t wait to do it again next year.
