Chelmsford High School’s Marching Band performs music from EPCOT’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind ride during band camp in August 2025 in honor of their trip to Disney World this spring.
by Jen Oemig
CHELMSFORD – 136 student musicians from Chelmsford High School, along with chaperones and music department staff, are spending April vacation at Disney World for an incredibly memorable experience.
Members of the CHS band, orchestra and chorus are in Florida, performing and attending workshops.
The performance trips to Disney World are something that CHS music students get to enjoy every four years. Kate Comeau, CHS orchestra director, said they are always fun and unforgettable experiences.
“For that 25- to 30-minute performance, you are a member of the Disney cast that is creating an experience for everybody,” she said. “I think that’s kind of neat.”
For some students, this is their first time visiting Disney World, which will likely make the trip even more special.
Organizing an excursion with over 100 high school students can be a daunting task logistically, but the leaders of the CHS music department have been making the process look easy.
They have been tasked with everything from planning the itinerary and coordinating the shipment of instruments to making sure all the permission slips are signed and the necessary allergy and dietary restriction information for students is on file.
“There’s a staggering amount of logistical details that we need to track for this trip,” said Amanda Roeder, CHS choral director. “Every kid is assigned to a flight group, a bus, a primary chaperone, a hotel room; we’ve also been tracking all their medical needs. … A big piece of the job for us is double-checking all those details.”
The students and staff have also been busy preparing musically for the trip for quite a while.
“We’ve been rehearsing for the performances,” said Matt Sexauer, CHS band director. “There is a workshop that we do, as well, so I’ve also been preparing the kids for that. … We’ve been doing a lot of sight reading over the past several weeks.”
Roeder said her favorite part of the entire trip is the workshop students attend.
“They go into this workshop expecting to work and it very much enforces the musical skills that we practice as an ensemble,” she said. “But the end result of this workshop is pure Disney magic. It’s always so much fun to see the looks on the students’ faces when they realize what they have created.”
In addition to the performances and workshops, students will have time to explore and enjoy Disney, spending time at Blizzard Beach, EPCOT Center, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.
“When they are not with us actively doing something, they are in the park having fun,” Comeau said. “They’re great kids and they’ve been working really hard.”
Many friends and family members are also traveling to Orlando to watch the ensembles perform, support the music program and enjoy the Disney experience.
