The Magic of Music
Music can be found in every aspect of life, especially at the “Happiest Place on Earth.” Peninsula’s two orchestras were recently selected to go to Disneyland Park in Anaheim and participate in the Imagination Campus workshop on Jan. 19. At a recording studio in Downtown Disney, students were recorded while performing various movie soundtracks. The recordings were then played behind their corresponding movie scenes. When music is played in the background of a scene, it emphasizes the emotions in certain movie scenes and helps make movies more memorable.
The orchestras, directed by AP Music Theory teacher and Choir conductor Dan Doctor, are recognized for their three annual concerts: a classical concert in the fall, a pop concert and a second classical concert in the spring. Because of how often they hold concerts, the orchestra students felt ready to take on the Disney workshop. The types of pieces both orchestras performed were difficult and required a delicate balance of music from the instruments to be pulled off. Having already achieved this, more attention needed to be placed on other details in students’ playing, such as tone quality and sound level, to improve. Freshman Ryan Wang, a violinist in Chamber Orchestra, loves being a part of the school’s music department and enjoyed the Disney experience.
“My favorite part of the day is orchestra, specifically when we are rehearsing for upcoming concerts,” Wang said. “The workshop [was meaningful and the director] was very concise with his directions. The most impactful moment for me was when [a scene from] ‘The Lion King’ [was] played with our music behind it. Watching the scene [while] listening to [ourselves] play the backtrack highlighted a few things [the orchestra] needs to work on as a whole, as I think that is important moving forward.”
In addition to understanding the impacts of music on media, the workshop showed students what it is like to be a Disney performer for a day and helped them recognize the subtle nuances in their playing. Students were taught by Joseph Alfuso, a renowned composer who has written music for movies such as “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “The Perfect Storm.” Through his instruction, Alfuso taught students how to perform their music with purpose by emphasizing dynamics, intonation and other overlooked aspects that help pull a piece together. Sophomore Abby Chiang, a member of the Symphonic Orchestra and a six-year cello player, thoroughly enjoyed the Disney collaboration.
“The collaboration was really fun,” Chiang says. “We put on Disney headphones and [were] studio musicians for ninety minutes. The conductor [showed us] a new [way to perceive music], teaching us how to focus on certain dynamics and intonation. After [the workshop], we spent the rest of the day [inside Disneyland] and it was a fun experience.”
While this is only the first year that the orchestras have gone to Disney, they hope to go often in upcoming years, as it shows students the importance of music during powerful moments. Imagination Campus helps prepare students by showing them how they can continue to play music in their future careers. Disney’s motto is that “dreams do come true,” and with these workshops, young musicians are one step closer to achieving their full potential in the music industry. Doctor could not be more proud of his students for working hard and being selected for this experience. “Everyone did a really great job,” Doctor said. “We all walked away from this [experience] with a newfound perspective on trying our best. I enjoyed traveling with [the students and] seeing them all grow, as they are all very talented individuals.”
