Instrumental music and colorguard students sea new opportunities at San Diego

100 students in the instrumental music program and Color Guard spent a weekend in San Diego sightseeing and performing at Balboa Park from Feb. 21- Feb. 23.

On Saturday, students traveled to San Diego’s Balboa Park, where they practiced and warmed up for a few hours before performing at Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Orchestra members had even been practicing early in the mornings to ensure the pep tunes would carry as much energy as possible.

“We’ve been practicing pep tunes throughout the year. We mostly play the [ones] that we find very iconic. We’re definitely able to get the excited reaction we want out of them,” clarinet band captain senior Bryan Cardeno said.

One of the main points of the trip, students watched the live action play “Wicked” on Saturday at the San DIego Civic Theater. The professional event gave some extra insight into their options for the future, and let them see more of how people perform and act in proper settings. Following this was a quick visit to the Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum, an experience that allowed students to relax between other activities.

“I was very close up, so it was very fun. We got to talk to some of the members of the pit crew, it was a lot of music students bonding with older people who are performing for a broadway musical. We were just chatting during intermission,” band captain flautist junior Chinar Gaijar said.

When students had first left campus on Friday morning, they departed for their first location, the United States Ship (USS) Midway Museum. Afterwards, they walked over to Seaport Village, where they shopped for souvenirs. Following a quick check-in at the hotel, students were allowed to spend a few hours with friends wandering the Fashion Valley Mall.

“The best part of [the trip] was going to the mall with friends,” viola freshman Rachel Lin said. “There was an AMC at the mall, which was what they meant by ‘dinner and movies.’ We were mostly just lumped groups, and I know a few people even did the escape room there.”

The trip shined in giving a chance for students to bond with peers, and Sunday was mainly taken up by an extensive trip to the San Diego Zoo. Afterward, the bus took them back to Walnut High School, closing off the weekend. This trip to San Diego was mainly sightseeing, but possible locations for the future include Hawaii, San Francisco, and Florida.

“My favorite part of the trip was the Wicked musical. We were able to see a very good live performance. It was breathtaking [and] beautiful. The singers and actors were really good,” Gaijar said.