The Owatonna music department has always been a hard working and devoted department and is home to one of the best concert choirs in the state. Their hard work is paying off as they get to go on a trip to New York city during spring break. They are visiting not only to see all the sights of the most populous city in the United States of America, but to perform in Riverside Church, the tallest cathedral in New York City. Choir Director Chris Harris hopes to get the ensamble to experience a different culture. He has chosen New York because he has yet to take a group there. Harris has been to Atlanta, Florida, Kansas City, St. Louis, Washington, and Chicago with past choirs. Harris says, “It’s not about New York specifically, these trips are about getting the group to experience a new culture. Owatonna is a pretty small town in the grand scheme of things, so going pretty much anywhere expands horizons quite a bit.”

The ensemble is going to perform, but they are visiting quite a few tourist attractions while in the big apple. Attractions such as the statue of liberty, the Hudson river, the World Trade Center, Central Park, Saint Patrick’s cathedral, poets walk park, sheep’s meadow, strawberry fields, Rockefeller center, Little Italy, Chinatown, Manhattan bridges, Brooklyn bridges and the 9/11 memorial. They also plan on attending the NBC today show, a Blue Man group concert and the Broadway showing of Once on this Island. Harris calls it a tour of New York City.

This is not a typical field trip to the zoo. Not only is Harris excited for the trip, but so are his students. Junior Tayah Hoffman says, “I’m excited to become closer with my classmates, and to go sightseeing in New York considering I haven’t been there before.” Sophomore Maddie Mularky is excited for other things than sights. Mularky says, “I’m looking forward to buying merchandise and seeing Once on this Island on Broadway.”

On the bus ride there, the ensemble is stopping at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse to receive a music lesson from a college professor. Harris believes this is a great opportunity to learn stuff they may have not learned before. The whole choir is looking forward to not only see the many sights and sounds in the big apple, but learn and cherish from the moments they have there.