Surrounded by the rich sounds of jazz and the vibrant energy of New Orleans, the Granite Bay High School choir set out on an unforgettable field trip this school year. Unlike some prior trips, which focused on competition-based events, this year’s trip was an educational tour around the city brimming with music and culture.

Having a mix of upper and lower classmen, around 24 students attended the trip, creating nice opportunities for bonding and mentorship. The trip lasted around 5 days and included a college visit, sightseeing around the city and a special performance at a historical venue. 

As one of the oldest cathedrals in the United States, established in 1724, performing at the St. Louis Cathedral was one of the highlights of the trip. This historic setting provided a unique experience for the choir, as venues like this are rare in California. 

“This was a really cool opportunity for the students to perform in a historical church, and regardless of religious affiliation, it just has very different acoustics than any other space we’ve performed in.” Susanna Peeples, the choir teacher at Granite Bay, said.

Unlike typical choir performances that involve the use of microphones, the cathedral’s architecture and infrastructure naturally amplifies the choir’s voices, making microphones unnecessary. The GBHS choir prepared a 30-minute set, including music written during the Renaissance time period (1500s), which fit the historical elements of the cathedral.

“It was a different experience. When singing, acoustics are very important, and they affect how you sound a lot, the space that you’re in, and in the cathedral, it was very different from singing on stage, because there were no mics, and it was a larger space, so the sound kind of diffused out into the air, and it made it sound a lot more heavenly, and that sort of regal sound that you would think of when you think of a church choir,” Maya Fowler, a junior and member of the choir, said.

Additionally, the choir got the opportunity to tour Loyola University New Orleans. They were guided by the school’s tour guides, splitting up into smaller groups to tour the campus and its surroundings. After the tour, the choir participated in a clinic led by a faculty member, gaining insight into the school’s programs and enjoyed dinner together on campus.

“We got some really good advice for our pieces that we were going to perform…We got the feedback there at the college, and we performed it here in Sacramento for a little district Choir Festival.” Savannah Van Koten, a senior and member of the choir, said.

Some of the choir’s favorite memories included taking pictures and going on the sight seeing trips such as the aquarium. One particular memorable moment happened on their first night in New Orleans where they unexpectedly ran into a Mardi Gras parade.

“So we got to really experience so much of the culture by being there. There were second line marching bands that were coming through there, which are really cool, like jazzy marching bands, and then a lot of floats, and it’s kind of cool because it’s really different than what we experience here in Granite Bay, but I think it gave us a real flavor for somewhere else in the country and the true culture of that city,” Peeples said.