MCHS’ Vocal Warriors load onto a bus they will spend the next 21 hours in, headed for Florida. With high hopes of adventure and success for new experiences and knowledge gained.

Our choir went on a “tour,” which is what you think it would be, traveling to another part of the country to perform. 50 total people attended with seven of those being chaperones, and the other 43 being students. During the tour, the students went to ‘Universal Studios,’ ‘SeaWorld,’ had two performances and two clinics.

“We were able to practice additional music that we normally don’t,” choir director Derek Galvicius says.

“Also, to bring our skills to another area of the world that would never have heard of us otherwise.”

This is such a beneficial opportunity offered to these students. They learn new skills, and refine old ones for something they can do for the rest of their lives if they keep up with it.

“The experiences that we had there,” senior Jay Sperrazza says, “the performances, what we did in the clinics, all of it benefits us.”

There’s a lot that goes into the tour, especially when trying to plan a trip that a large amount of teens will enjoy, while also keeping the trip focused around the main point, music.

“Well first we decide where we’re going,” Galvicius says. “Then I have a travel agent who helps to prepare the logistics and find what we could do, and I widdle it down to what I think is appropriate. Then we figure out the cost and have fundraisers and such. Then when all of that is done we start picking music to practice and perform.”

Another point of the tour is building bonds with existing friends, and making new ones.
Sperrazza says, “Just being with all my friends and being in the same room with people I’m closest with [was my favorite part of tour.]”

As the students head back to McHenry, they reflect on the fun things they did and what they learned.