Last month the Jenison Orchestra program brought 175 students to Walt Disney World for a nearly weeklong musical adventure.
The structured experience over the Thanksgiving holiday began on Wednesday with hands-on, backstage workshops at Epcot led by professional Disney musicians.
Students learned songs featured in Disney movies and then recorded those songs in the studio environment. At the end, they were given a short video featuring the original movie clip with the orchestra's recording as the audio.
Both the morning and evening groups picked up the songs quickly and delivered outstanding recordings.
"We are really proud of all the students," Jenison High School Orchestra Director Dan Scott said.
Then on Friday the orchestra had two public performances at Disney Springs. Large crowds gathered at the waterfront stage to enjoy the upbeat tunes the students played. The event concluded with an Irish song that had everyone clapping along and enthusiastic about the Jenison orchestra.
"It was definitely a moment for this director," Scott said. "Really happy to be a part of it."
He thanked the Jenison community for its consistent support of the orchestra program and his fellow conductors, Carol Johnson, Joe Harmsen, and Claudia Ricord, for their leadership.
"I am lucky to be on the shoulders of giants," Scott said.