EXPERIENCE: Poly orchestra records classical Disney songs at Disneyland.
By Kate Santoso, Staff Writer
When we think of Disneyland, we think of rides, fairytales, smiles and of course, magic. However, we sometimes fail to recognize the sweet music playing behind the scenes produced by Disney Performing Arts, the place where vocalists, actors, actresses, dancers and musicians from around the world sing, dance and shine in the happiest place on earth.
For over ten years, Poly orchestra traditionally performed onstage in Disneyland. This year, however, orchestra attended a special workshop to record and sight-read Disney music and watch it being played with its respective Disney movie. The Disneyland Resort is the only place in the world where you can legally record Disney music and play it with Disney movies. “I thought it would be an awesome experience to get some more students to consider a career in music, especially as a member of a cinematic orchestra,” Conductor Bob Haberedor said.
On April 6, a bus full of eager Poly musicians took off to Disneyland. Once they arrived, the musicians immediately dashed for the theme park’s rides and attractions. At 2:00 pm, the orchestra met at Toontown to begin the recording, where a bus took them to an official recording studio that professionals use to record music for Disney films.
The orchestra was introduced to an inspiring conductor, Tom Griffin, who conducts the industry’s top musicians. For the first time, every member of the orchestra wore a set of headphones that counted a measure before the song began so they could distinguish the rhythm. They recorded selections from the Lion King, Tangled and Castle. After each song was recorded, Griffin gave everyone tips on how to make their music match the style of each movie. The music was then played along with the scene of the movie to which it corresponded. “I think that we did a great job at the workshop because everyone responded very well to the conductor’s high expectations and improved dramatically in a few minutes of his instruction,” Haberedor said.
Griffin shared his wisdom with the orchestra: be awesome the first time, every time. When you play a song for the first time, play like you are performing for an audience. With these high expectations, the musicians were encouraged to refine their abilities. “Mr. Griffin definitely gave me motivation to practice more diligently in order to strive toward goals that I originally thought were only attainable in dreams,” violinist Itzel Crusoe (11) said.
This experience was only possible because Haberedor yearned for students in orchestra to improve their playing.
The Soundtrack Session workshop reinforced many achievement standards for the students such as having good posture and identifying rhythms and dynamics. This once- in-a-lifetime experience will be cherished forever in the minds of Poly’s musicians.