Do you love going on field trips in school to learn? If you do, this article may be for you. It will review the New York Philharmonic trip that all of the 6th-grade music students go on every year. It will have interviews from both the music teachers and some 6th-grade music students to share their experiences from this trip.
Teacher Interviews
I interviewed teachers, asking them what they liked most about the trip, along with what they learned from it. The teachers discussed what their students learned from the trip, whether it was how to be a respectful audience or what it was like to be a part of a professional ensemble.
What was your favorite part of the trip?
Mr. Beadle (7th- and 8th-Grade Band Teacher): Walking in with the kids when they see the concert hall for the first time. It was a really cool time.
Mr. Ocasio (6th-Grade Band Teacher): A tie between two world premieres by sixth graders, Kavita Varshney and DJ Han, and watching orchestra students from LaGuardia High School join the New York Philharmonic for their performance of An Outdoor Overture by Aaron Copland. It was interesting to learn that Copland wrote it for LaGuardia High School.
Ms. Erlenborn (FMS Choir Teacher): I love seeing the New York Philharmonic perform. They are so musical and interesting to watch and listen to! In addition, this concert always includes music written by students in New York, and it is inspiring to see a professional orchestra play a piece of music that a child wrote. Both of the young composers this year were students in 6th grade, so it was really cool to know that they were the same age as the students we took on the trip!
What was your favorite song played on the trip?
Mr. Beadle (7th- and 8th-Grade Band Teacher): Selections From The Bond Of Africa by William L. Dawson.
Mr. Ocasio (6th-Grade Band Teacher): On this trip, my favorite song was An Outdoor Overture by Aaron Copland.
Ms. Erlenborn (Choir Teacher): They performed What a Wonderful World as the final song of the concert and encouraged the audience to sing along. It was really beautiful watching hundreds of students from all over singing together. I think that was my favorite song to hear!
What did you and the students learn from the trip?
Mr. Beadle (7th- and 8th-Grade Band Teacher): The concert was about the different kinds of American music, and the importance of being on time and acting as a respectful audience.
Mr. Ocasio (6th-Grade Band Teacher): I learned that William Dawson’s parents were freed slaves, and how he made connections to his family history in his music. Learning that What a Wonderful World was written specifically for Louis Armstrong. Also, what I mentioned about Aaron Copland writing An Outdoor Overture for Laguardia High
School, then called the High School of Music and Art in New York, in 1938.
Ms. Erlenborn (Choir Teacher): There was a lot of information about different musical and dance styles that were inspired by Central and South American cultures. I found it really interesting to listen to how the genres we learned about had such an impact on the rhythms and the harmonies of the music in the concert.
Did anything happen on the trip that made it unforgettable?
Mr. Beadle (7th- and 8th-Grade Band Teacher): We got there really late, but the students learned how quickly we could move. I will remember it as the trip they were really late to. I really liked Negro Folk Symphony. It was really pretty. Dawson’s piece was my favorite.
Mr. Ocasio (6th-Grade Band Teacher): We arrived late after a two-hour bus ride. The host was also a tap dancer, and she worked it into the show, making it different from years past.
Ms. Erlenborn (Choir Teacher): I always love the drive into the Lincoln Tunnel when we take field trips into New York. I always do a countdown before turning the corner towards the tunnel, when you get this amazing view of the NYC skyline. It is awesome to see some of my students witnessing New York City in person for the first time! Some of the students also sang Welcome to New York when we crossed the state line between NJ and NY inside the tunnel. It was really fun!
Why or how did it become a tradition to go on this same trip every year?
Mr. Beadle (7th- and 8th-Grade Band Teacher): Because originally, only 8th graders got a trip, then Dorney Park started. This was created to experience more in a really short trip. It is inspiring and important to see professionals.
Mr. Ocasio (6th-Grade Band Teacher): Ms. Tomblin has done a great job of remaining in contact with the New York Philharmonic to organize this trip, going on three years now. We feel it is important to have separate trips solely for 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade music students, where they can see professional musicians at their craft. This trip is perfectly catered to 6th-grade-aged students.
Ms. Erlenborn (Choir Teacher): Ms. Tomblin originally found out about the concerts and organized the trip for us. We loved it so much, we’ve gone back every year! It means a lot to me that my students can see a professional orchestra like the New York Philharmonic play, especially since going to one of their regular concerts is so expensive. This trip is a really affordable and accessible way to see professionals making music that is SO GOOD. I hope that it inspires our students to stick with music, either playing, singing, or even just listening, for the rest of their lives.
6th-Grade Student Interviews
I also interviewed students to learn about their experiences on this trip. I asked them what they learned and what made them unable to ever forget this trip. They enjoyed the music very much.
What was your favorite part of the trip?
Danielle Hirsch (Band): My favorite part was the colorfulness of the theater. It was very beautiful.
Jack Wauters (Orchestra): My favorite part was listening to the songs.
Siena Carlson (Choir): My favorite part of the trip was how interactive it was during the show. I loved the music! It was so good.
What was your favorite song played on the trip?
Danielle Hirsch (Band): I liked the first symphony written by a student.
Jack Wauters (Orchestra): What A Wonderful World.
Siena Carlson (Choir): My favorite song played on the trip was An Outdoor Overture.
What did you learn from the trip?
Danielle Hirsch (Band): I learned the importance of working together as an ensemble and how great it can sound.
Jack Wauters (Orchestra): I felt like I learned a little bit about each instrument and how they can work together as an ensemble.
Siena Carlson (Choir): What I learned was how much work is put into a show when everyone is working together, and how amazing it could sound with everyone working together and having fun.
Did anything happen on the trip that made it unforgettable?
Danielle Hirsch (Band): I thought that the three balconies were really cool, and that the theater was beautiful.
Jack Wauters (Orchestra): I liked how everyone was wearing a different-colored shirt, but they still all wore black pants. They were very uniform and professional.
Siena Carlson (Choir): When the host changed her shoes from navy blue, black, purple, and yellow throughout the show.
Overall, this trip is a great learning experience for the 6th-grade students. They learned to be a respectful audience, and also learned how to be a great ensemble by seeing professionals. The music teachers also learned from the trip and had a great time with their students. What field trips would you like to go on to learn our curriculum in a different way? School
