The kids and a few chaperones had a special opportunity to see Disney backstage. Unfortunately, we could not take pictures but that did not dampen the experience one bit.
We met our guides and did take a group picture. I bought one of the 8x10's and will attempt to post a copy on the blog for a post tour update. While in the staging area, we saw many groups, but none quite our size. I spoke with other visiting chaperones and the first question was, "How many are in this group?!"
The stage was small and Colla Voce looked large and very beautiful in their outfits. While they were singing, many passersby stopped to hear them. The crowd especially enjoyed Twa Ton Bou and really enjoyed Africa. The stage was such that the thunder the kids produced REALLY sounded like thunder rolling across the plains of the Serengeti. In a word: AWESOME!
Encore sang next and Seth Grandidge and Caleb Himes had solos. They sang a Gospel tune that had our visitors rocking in the background!
The groups combine for their final several songs and the crowd outside the area grew. I'm pretty sure they stopped initially to see if we could actually fit on the stage, but stayed to listen to the whole set. We were all so very proud of our kids in their performance, poise, and how they represented HCS!
After the 30 minute performance we headed backstage to where rehearsals and recordings are actually done. The room was large enough to fit our kids and more. We were introduced to Brett Simmons, our producer and director.
The kids were given the opening theme to Home on the Range starring Johnny Depp. Many of them had not seen the movie and had never seen the sheet music. Mr. Simmons ran those kids through a rehearsal unlike anything I've ever seen! He had the tenors and basses run through a phrase, critique them, perfect it. Then he had the sopranos and altos do the same thing. Then he combined the two sections until they were spot on.
I know, I know...it's just like Mr. Hummel's rehearsal right? It was different because of the speed in which Mr. Simmons pushed the kids. The best part about it was that the kids all rose to the occasion!
One of my proudest moments was when Mr. Simmons stopped the group and said he heard the 2nd Sopranos. He had not split the girls up, but they took the initiative and sang the part. And sang the part well enough to be recognized! Our kids are so talented!!
Everyone, including chaperones, were given a set of wireless headphones, and in two takes we were watching the opening scene to Home on the Range with HCS singing! Very cool!
The next song's rehearsal time was even faster. They sang circle of life with Macauley Anderson, Sarah Grace Mariani, and Kelley Taylor performing the opening solos. In a matter of minutes, the kids were cutting their second sound track!
Everyone left the soundstage all with smiles! Being in the recording studio with Mr. Simmons was a rare treat that our kids will never forget!
Oh...and what was Mr. Hummel doing the entire time? He was one of the kids singing and having a blast!
We had the rest of the day and night to finish up everything in Disney. Some rode every possible ride, many watched the parade, and a good majority of us saw one of the night shows before bidding Disney farewell. All in all, a great time at Disney!
Next...Highway One along the coast to Monterey.
p.s. The Carmel High School performance was cancelled so we all got an extra hour of sleep! As much as we wanted to perform with CHS, we all welcomed the extra down time.
p.s.s Thank you Mr. Hummel and Mrs. Sikes for your coordination and flexibility! There is so much going on behind the scenes that is transparent to the kids, and we adults see your efforts and appreciate it so much!
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