More than 100 Highlands High School students traveled to the house of mouse last week to participate in Disney's Performing Arts program.
The Highlands Varsity Marching Band and Variations Show Choir performed for two days — in a Disney Main Street parade at Magic Kingdom on Friday and again at Hollywood Studios and Disney Springs on Saturday.
For many of the students, this was their first visit to iconic Disney World — the culmination of nearly two years of fundraising.
Highlands' music department schedules the Disney trek every four years.
“They did a good job with the houses, recreating them,” said Carolin Eberle, a Highlands foreign exchange student and band member from Germany, when asked how visiting the Germany exhibit of Disney's Epcot compared to her home country. “It felt like home.”
Students squeezed in some free time and spent a day at Epcot and Hollywood Studios in between performances.
“The students are so well deserving of this experience,” said Michael Zeiler, former Disney cast member and choral director and choreographer at Highlands. “To bring the magic of Disney and the performing arts to so many students is a blessing. I always dreamt of bringing students down here (to Disney World) to perform.
“The experience, the performance, the energy and the caliber of the students performance ... it was phenomenal,” Zeiler said.
Marching band student Kira Lester said she treasured her Disney performing experience.
“This is such a cool trip. I love performing and it's such a good experience, especially in a place with thousands of different people from different cultures and backgrounds,” Lester said.
Highland's director of bands, Matthew Beresik, stressed the importance of students gaining performance experience away from their hometowns.
“Traveling outside of the student's local communities and region provides educational experiences far beyond the subject area,” Beresik said. “I believe music performance trips to be a significant and rewarding part of music education at Highlands. Performing for, competing against or interacting with people from across the state, around the country and in some cases on the other side of the globe, leaves a lasting impression on our students and helps to shape them into the leaders and citizens we need in society.”
Joyce Hanz is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.
