Skyline Choir went on tour to Disneyland March 11 to March 15 to perform songs for Disneyland parkgoers and take a workshop class from a professional in the music industry.

Choir tour is somewhat of a Skyline tradition, happening every two years. Skyline’s choir groups bus to Anaheim and sing near Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! in the Hollywood Lounge. Shae Bunker, Skyline’s Choir teacher, says, “Just performing in the park is an honor.”

As well as performing, students were able to attend a workshop class offered by Disney’s Imagination Campus, which taught students about career opportunities in the music industry and different vocal techniques, among other things. “They talked about careers and stuff, and wanted us to see what it’s like in a professional level,” says Gwyn Hutchings, a member of Highlites, one of Skyline’s choir groups. 

As part of the workshop, the choir groups got to sing songs from beloved Disney movies, such as The Nightmare Before Christmas. “We learned to sing ‘This is Halloween,’ […] and they got the real soundtrack from Disney and put our vocals over that,” says Hutchings.

In preparation for this tour, the choir groups have been rehearsing their songs since after winter break. Hutchings said that they had about three months to practice their songs, but she still didn’t feel quite prepared because of only having choir two to three times a week. 

While the students have been practicing since January, Bunker said, “I started planning a year ago.” Organizing things like outfits, sending videos to show the choir to Disney, and choosing the date of the tour are some of the things Bunker did to plan. 

Bunker also had to practice for this tour. “Flo’s [V8] Diner has a seating in the back of it that gets quiet, and I have to practice my conducting,” says Bunker. 

In addition to the days of singing in front of an audience, the choir also stopped and had a day on the beach before performing in Disneyland. “The beach day was so much fun,” says Sarah Lantz, a member of Highlites. 

“When you’re waking up, eating breakfast, and going on a twelve hour bus ride with these people, […] you get to know these people a lot better,” stated Hutchings. She also said choir tour helped to bring people out of their routine and that “it really is just, like, a little family, ’cause we’re all very close.”