The Kingswood Oxford Middle School concert band went on a field trip to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. on a morning in early November. All 28 students in the band attended the field trip. The trip was three hours long, as there was a one-hour bus ride to and back from the Coast Guard Academy, and the Band performed for one hour.
The Coast Guard Band played The Star-Spangled Banner, Semper Paratus, music from The Incredibles, and Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, which was the primary focus of the concert. The trip was chaperoned by Middle School history teacher Allison O’Donnell, and band teacher Todd Millen. Mr. Millen said that the purpose of the trip was to, “expose students to what a professional band sounds like.”
The Coast Guard Band is only one hour away from Kingswood Oxford, making it one of the closest professional bands to the school. Mr. Millen thought it was a great trip. “It was a good experience for everybody, good questions were asked, good feedback was given, and I hope to do it again,” he said. It is safe to say that the trip was fun, exciting, and an overall success. Due to the trip’s success, it is possible that returning and future Middle School band students may have the opportunity to experience something similar in the coming years.
