The Benilde-St. Margaret’s music department is taking a bi-annual field trip to New Orleans, Louisiana, over Presidents Day weekend. Choir teacher Miriam Augsburger and Band teacher Josie Gruber aim to recruit thirty students to showcase their talents on the trip. Any student taking a music class or extracurricular is eligible for the trip. This week officially marks the beginning of their preparations, starting with an informational meeting on Thursday, September 19.
Three cities were proposed by BSM’s tour company: Chicago, Washington D.C., and New Orleans. These cities have excellent musical environments and endless learning opportunities for students. The two teachers brought the three options to a vote in their classrooms, and a vast majority of students were interested in New Orleans. “We kind of narrowed it down to the three that we thought sounded the most interesting,” Augsburger said.
New Orleans is a city with a rich musical history often referred to as the birthplace of Jazz. The tour company proposed an agenda that includes tours of historical sights, museums, and other famous tourist attractions. The class will also be visiting the French Quarter (the oldest neighborhood in the city), going bowling, participating in a musical walking tour, and visiting the warehouse where Mardi Gras parade floats are made. “We’re gonna go to the National World War Two Museum, which I’ve heard is one of the best museums in the country,” Augsburger said.
The choir will be joining a New Orleans choir for mass and singing in other smaller performances with the band. It’s not been decided when or where, but there will be at least two performances each for the band and choir. “The choir will be singing in a mass and maybe a few other small performances, and then the band will also have a performance. I don’t think we’re quite sure about where that’s going to happen yet,” Augsburger said.
Overall, this trip is focused on broadening students’ views of the world in terms of culture and learning about other parts of our country. It also aims to build community amongst the music department and allow them the opportunity to perform in the real world. “It’s just an opportunity for our students to have fun hanging out together with a little more responsibility,” Augsburger said.
Finally, there is an opportunity for students interested in the trip to join a music class second semester to become eligible. It’s recommended that students contact Mrs. Augsberger or Ms. Gruba with any questions. “I think it just looks cool and fun; I went on the San Antonio trip two years ago. It was a blast, and I had a lot of fun with friends,” senior Sam Rude said.