May. 06, 2018
In April, our Grade 11 Symphonic Band and Grade 12 Wind Ensemble toured to Los Angeles and Anaheim, California. This delegation of 189 of our finest band students represented Western with tremendous musical excellence, class and citizenship. On the tour they workshopped with world-class conducting faculty at UCLA, and California State Fullerton where they received incredible praise for their musical excellence.
Both ensembles auditioned to participate in film score workshops with Disney Performing Arts. In those workshops they worked with studio directors to rehearse and record six different segments of various Disney film scores. Again, both groups were praised by Disney Performing Arts faculty for their quick ability to learn and adapt as musicians through the recording process. The icing on the cake was being able to view the six different recordings played back with the film reel simultaneously.
While in California, the group also took in a mind-blowing performance by the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, a beautiful performance of Phantom of the Opera in the historic Pantages Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard and an enriching visit to the Getty Museum where they could take in the works of Manet and van Gogh while taking in one of the most stunning perspectives of Los Angeles available. The Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble finished off the experience with performances at Disney.
The students did Western, the CBE, Calgary and Canada incredibly proud with their respective performances. Time and time again throughout the trip, we were told how fabulous our students are and what incredibly strong musicians they are at such a young age. We congratulate the Grade 11 Symphonic Band and Grade 12 Wind Ensemble for being the finest examples of our school through this amazing experience.
