USC Choir and Band Trip
Contributed by Sheila Rame
The Choir and Band trip was a wonderful experience!
We left late Friday afternoon on March 8th. We arrived at the University of Memphis Saturday morning, to spend time with a Band and Choir Clinician. It was fun watching the students as they listened to another music person and heard feedback on how to make our band and choir even better.
We then went to Graceland for a tour. We had the opportunity to see the mansion, the "grounds", and the Museum. All of this was very impressive. We then went to Sun Records for a tour and saw how recordings were made "back in the day". We spent some time at the Bass Pro Shop at the Pyramid to do some shopping and take in the sights. Next, we went to dinner at Alfred's on Beale Street to enjoy a southern meal.
Sunday, we drove to New Orleans. We had a tour of the City and Cemetery. The tour guide was full of information about the cemetery, the cement vaults, Jazz funerals, areas affected by Katrina, and how New Orleans is still "in repair" after 10 years. After that, we went to Palm Court Jazz Dinner Club and had a wonderful Southern supper. We listened to a Jazz Band and were able to have a question-and-answer time with the group members.
Monday, we boarded Riverboat City of New Orleans cruise ship, had lunch, and saw the sights along the river, while listening to Jazz music. We also had some shopping time at Jackson Square. After that, we went to the Mardi Gras World to see where floats are made for the parades. This was very interesting.
On Tuesday, we went to the Oak Alley Plantation. We toured a mansion and the slave quarters that were once used years ago. The tour guide shared the story of how this plantation originated and how the entire operation worked. We also went to the Cajun Swamp Tour where we saw alligators in their natural environment. Students and adults even had the opportunity to hold a baby alligator.
The students did a great job of representing USC during our trip. They were respectful and polite to everyone we met. Thank you to the School Board and the Education Foundation for helping to support this experience for our USC students. It was much appreciated.