Staff Writer
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| Ships docked at port during last year's band cruise. |
The Apex High School’s band will be leaving for the port of Miami on March 31. Students will be spending their spring break aboard a Celebrity Cruise ship – the Celebrity Constellation – where they will travel to Roatan, Honduras and Cozumel, Mexico. While on the ship, the band will be participating in a music festival where they will perform and receive a score of 1-4 (1 being the best) by a music adjudicator.
Two years ago the band took a similar trip aboard a Royal Caribbean ship with destinations in Key West and Nassau in the Bahamas. During this trip there was only one band performing a list of three songs – “Farewell to a Slavic Women,” “Incantation and Dance,” and “A Movement for Rosa.” This year the group is being split up into two different bands each performing three songs. The lower band will be performing “El Relicario,” “Pageant” and “Sedona.”
Both junior Trent Voytko and senior Bailey DeSimone went on the last cruise and are going on this cruise and agree that their favorite part from the last cruise was looking at the water. “The water was absolutely beautiful,” says Voytko. “It was so blue and clear and you could see the sea floor.”
“I really liked getting to relax on the beach by water on the cruise lines private island,” comments DeSimone. She is also looking forward to the scenery on the upcoming cruise. “I really want to see the sun rise off the ocean,” she says.
For some of the students, mostly sophomores and freshmen, this is not only their first trip with the band but their first time on a cruise. “I am really just looking forward to hanging out with friends and being on a cruise for the first time and to new adventures,” says sophomore Jacob Kadan.
Each member is most looking forward to playing “Pineapple Poll.” Both Voytko and DeSimone say that, “it's perfectly themed for the cruise.” Voytko goes on to say, “It’s so fun to play and I am never bored during it.” Sophomore Jacob Kadan's doesn’t have a preference, “I don’t have a clear favorite, and “Rolling Thunder” is not a fun song. It’s such a technical song so I would have to say Pineapple Poll.” Along with these songs the Wind Ensemble will also be playing “Danzon No. 2”
With the departure date quickly approaching, the bands are scurrying to put the final touches on their pieces and get all their belongings together.
