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Ava High School Band Set to Play at Disney World & Universal Studios in 2020

By Michael Boyink

The Ava High School Band is going to Orlando in May of 2020.

The band will be traveling to Orlando with Educational Tours, Inc. The cost will be approximately $1364 per student and chaperone. That price includes travel, hotel stay, and entrance fees into Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios, and Gulf Coast Beach. The price also covers most of the food for the trip.

This will be the second time the Ava High School band has gone to Florida. The first trip was in 2016, and band directors Sarah and Chris Sacco had nothing but praise for the students who went.

Band Director Chris Sacco says:

“We’ve chaperoned other bands to the Macy’s Parade in New York City. Based on that experience we were ready for anything that might come up in Florida. But the students were great. The worst thing that happened was some of them got some cuts while swimming around some submerged concrete and we had to go buy band-aids.”

The Saccos want to offer these trips at least once every four years, so every Ava Band student gets a chance to go at least once during their high school years. 

When the band arrives at Disney, they’ll be taken to Disney’s “You’re Instrumental” Workshop. Students will learn how to get the most of out of fast-paced music rehearsals while executing a pitch-perfect performance under the guidance of an experienced Disney Music Director. The workshop ends with a special finale: a recording of the Ava High School Band performing Disney music accompanied by footage from a classic Disney animated film. 

The 2020 trip also includes a workshop at Universal Studios called “Sound Design: Music and Art of Foley”. In it, students will get to experience what it would be like to work as a professional movie musician. Not only will they record music for an actual music scene, but they will get to be part of making sound effects for a movie.

Both workshops will be an amazing experience and look into the life of a professional musician.  Chris Sacco says:

“Coming home from the last trip we took a poll of the students, asking them their favorite part of the trip. For the majority of the students, it wasn’t a chance to visit another state, or see a Florida beach, or hang out with their friends. Their favorite part was playing in the workshops and seeing how a professional musician might work.”

Fundraising efforts have already started. Students began selling candy bars over the summer. Students will also be able to raise their own money by performing service projects in order to meet the set price. Currently the Ava High School Band and Band Boosters are organizing more fundraising events to help fund the trip.

If you have a project or service that band students could help with, please contact Mrs. or Mr. Sacco. The hope is that every student will be able to attend if everyone “bands together”. 

If you are interested in donating to the cause, please contact Sara or Chris Sacco at avabands@gmail.com. Donations can be sent to: Ava Bands, Ava High School, 507 North Spring Street, Ava, MO 65608.