After two long years without music trips, the music department eagerly commenced its trip to Philadelphia on Wednesday, May 18. 

Every student enrolled in a music elective class, whether that be mixed chorus, symphonic band, wind ensemble, or string orchestra, was invited to join the department on the trip. This long-awaited event consisted of a lunch cruise, a performance at People’s Plaza, and a tour of the Liberty Bell. Students were given the opportunity to enjoy these experiences for the price of $202.50 per ticket. 

With a prompt arrival in Philadelphia at 11:30 am and a return to LHS at 8:00 pm, students were able to experience a day’s worth of excursions. The trip began with a sail on the Spirit of Philadelphia Lunch Cruise, which was complete with a buffet, dancefloor, DJ, and much laughter amongst the students. Throughout the duration of the cruise along the Delaware River, the students got a tour of the many impressive sights Philadelphia has to offer, such as the Naval Shipyard, the Ben Franklin and Walt Whitman bridges, and the Olympia warship. Sophomore Colette Doyle, who “was excited to go on [her] first music trip after not having one last year due to COVID,” shared how she “really enjoyed going on the boat and spending time with everyone.” Sophomore Mae Dooling agreed: “The deck outside was really nice, and my friends and I had a lot of fun.”

The students then made their way over to People’s Plaza for their performance, which consisted of a mix of songs previously performed at the winter concert as well as recently-learned songs. For two hours, each group sat and watched the other groups perform, cheering and applauding as each group finished. Sophomore Stephanie Neri noted how she enjoyed this aspect of the trip, sharing, “My favorite part was listening to the other groups perform as well as performing for them, as I never really get to hear the band or the chorus.” She continued, “I thought it was really nice that everyone was supporting each other.” Not only were the musicians impressed by their peers’ performances, but many of Philadelphia’s locals strolling by also decided to stick around for a while to watch the performances.

The final stop of the trip was the Liberty Bell. Many students took this opportunity to snap some pictures with friends in front of the historic artifact. Junior Jessie Panaro shared, “My favorite part of the trip was going to see the Liberty Bell. Seeing a historic landmark up close was truly fascinating and a great experience.”

Chorus Teacher Barry Wyner commented, “I think music trips create memorable life experiences for our students. They foster a sense of community among chorus students, who meet in six separate classes and don’t normally get to interact, as well as between the three performance groups.” Wyner also shared his love for the connections made between students and teachers in an out-of-school environment: “It’s hard to describe, but the conversations just feel more person to person, as opposed to, ‘I’m the teacher, you’re the student.’”