Gatesville Band taking trip to Disney World

While many people are still enjoying new Christmas gifts, the Gatesville High School band will have nearly another five months to anticipate an upcoming trip to Disney World.

The Gatesville Independent School District Board of Trustees approved the trip during the December meeting after hearing a request from fine arts program and band director Jose Sanchez.

"Every four years I try to do a big band trip," Sanchez said. "I'm hoping to change that to every two years after this cycle. As a high school student, as much as I loved music, one of my favorite experiences was going on big trips."

The trip to the Sunshine State to visit Mickey Mouse and company is scheduled for June 4-9.

"(Band) boosters are supplementing (the financial cost) and there are also three fundraising opportunities for students throughout the year," Sanchez said. "The boosters kicked in about $20,000 this time to help bring down the cost."

Sanchez said he estimated it would cost about $800 per student, which would include transportation on charter buses, some of the meals, and admission to Disney theme parks.

"We'll do more fundraisers," he said, noting that a mattress fundraiser has brought in about $12,000 in the past.

The majority of the band members are planning to go on the trip, Sanchez said.

"We'll take about 75 percent of the band, and we have around 100 kids," he said. "We're hoping to get that closer to 90 percent.

"I want this experience to be as educational as possible. We'll have the opportunity to go backstage and work with professional musicians. It will give the kids a good idea of what is involved in being a music professional. It's really a great opportunity to see that side of the industry."

One of the board members asked about reasons for those band members who are choosing not to go.

"There are some who don't want to go," Sanchez said. 'Some have made other plans with family or have recently been to Disney World. Many of the kids have been looking forward to this and talking about it for two years. 

For those who may have financial difficulty in paying for the trip, Sanchez pointed to the fundraising opportunities and said there is also a scholarship process to help with expenses." 

Making sure the band members get the most from the trip - and avoid mischief - will be a primary emphasis.

"I was a high school band kid once," Sanchez said. "We'll take protocols to make sure the kids are safe and have a police officer roaming the halls (of the student's hotel) at night to make sure they don't get the idea to do anything that's not smart."

While members of the marching band usually have plenty of activity keeping them in shape, Sanchez said he was giving them and any family members who might attend plenty of notice to get ready for hours of walking and any consequences involved. 

It seems even a visit to what many consider to be one of the happiest places on earth still requires being prepared.

"At Disney, you can be on your feet all day, 12 to 14 hours," he said. He added that sometimes Disney park visitors get red legs when blood vessels burst because they are not used to such sustained activity. 

"I've started to warn parents to walk to get in shape, and I'm also telling the kids that."