Most students spent their spring breaks relaxing, catching up on work, maybe even traveling, but MSJ’s Choir spent their spring break taking on New York City!
Most students spent their spring breaks relaxing, catching up on work, maybe even traveling, but MSJ’s Choir spent their spring break taking on New York City! I was lucky enough to be one of the 29 students to go on the trip. From beginning to end the trip was filled with laughter, energy, big feelings, and memories that will last a lifetime. Starting on Monday, March 3, at 8 a.m., the charter bus departs from MSJ. The students onboard are ready to take on the Big Apple.
The 10-hour drive is permeated by a hushed excitement, but the buzz truly ramps up in the last hour of the drive. Hype-up songs are playing over the bus’s loudspeakers as the bus approaches the city, then the skyline.
Looking back one of the students said, “Seeing the city for the first time on the bus, made me realize I was finally in NYC with some of my best friends!” New York City’s famous skyline was right in front of us, we made it!
Tuesday begins with a head-first dive into city life. The 31-person group packs into the narrow entrance of the subway, some anxiously awaiting their first subway ride. The first stop of the day is the Oculus, followed by a walk to the 9/11 Memorial where the energy shifts from high-energy fun to a real and respectful silence.
This was a moment that many of the students would later say changed their outlook on the trip, “New York is so quiet, but you could hear someone whisper, you could hear the rushing water,” a student said. “It’s different than the rest of the bustling city, it’s reverent.”
After paying respects to those lost, the group continues to Trinity Church. If you’re a fan of “Hamilton: The Musical,” as many of the students were, you will recognize this as the burial ground for the founding father Alexander Hamilton.
Keeping the day moving, the group continues to Wall Street, taking a look at the New York Stock Exchange building, where the Fearless Girl statue now stands, facing the building. Next, after escaping some persistent scammers surrounding Battery Park, the group pauses to take in the Shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton, the founder of the Sisters of Charity, to whom we owe our education at Mount St. Joseph University. The group dissolves to get a small glance at the Statue of Liberty, across the waters of New York Harbor. Then, after a peek at the Brooklyn Bridge, it’s back on the move for the MSJ Choir.
It’s about 1:30 now and the group is getting hungry, but after passing the Courthouse, famous for its appearance in “Law and Order,” the group is guided into Chinatown and Little Italy. Students split up to enjoy the culture and food of two of New York’s melting pot points,
“Walking around a melting pot like New York and hearing different languages being spoken at the same time, was just fascinating. In Little Italy, the staff at the restaurant we ate at were speaking half-broken English and half-Italian. You just think back to the early 1900s when thousands of immigrants were pouring into the country through major cities like New York.”
After some well-deserved lunch, the group hops onto the subway yet again, making their way to Grand Central Station, everyone gaping up at the gorgeous constellation artwork on the ceiling. The last stop of the day before returning to the hotel is The New York Public Library, a stark contrast between a popular museum spot and a quiet workspace for students in New York. After a brief recess at the hotel, it’s off to John’s Pizzeria for some delicious salad, pizza, and brownies before a night on Broadway.
The first show of the trip, many people’s favorite, is "The Outsiders," “The Outsiders" musical was absolutely life-changing! It completely changed the way I view the performing arts, theater, music, and vocal production,” according to a student. “It inspired me to think more about the emotional delivery I need to have in my performances moving forward!” Then it’s off to bed for the students!
Wednesday, Ash Wednesday no less, starts with a performance at St. John The Divine, a performance that President Williams and his wife attend! Hearing the choir’s voice in such a large space is exactly what choir director Kelsey DeMange wanted out of this trip. The rest of the afternoon is free time. Some choose to attend Ash Wednesday mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to receive their ashes. I choose to walk around Times Square and explore some shops with a friend, while others rest at the hotel.
Dinner that night is at Hotel Edison, where we are staying, and with dinner comes a spectacular performance. During dinner we are treated to singing waiters. Performers who may not have a performance job currently are invited, by the owner Gayle, to wait tables and sing show tunes in between.
This is one of my favorite moments of the trip because this is the spirit of New York City being shown to us over a cheeseburger dinner. There are songs from “Little Shop of Horrors” “The Princess and the Frog,” “Wicked,” “Death Becomes Her,” “Funny Girl,” and (my favorite musical) “Six.” All these amazing performers are running around the dining room singing their hearts out, entertaining the guests, and returning to bring their tables drinks.
This is what New York is all about: chasing your dreams, struggling to make a living off them, and doing anything and everything you can to make that dream a reality. After the exhilarating dinner, the group sets out for the second Broadway show,”Hamilton.” Seeing the show in its original theater is something that none of us will forget.
Thursday is the Mount Media Takeover Day! Once again we start the day with a performance, this time at Church of St. Paul the Apostle. This performance evokes some strong emotions from the members because of the reality that all the work put into the trip was paying off at this moment.
After a quick change at the hotel, the group is back on the streets, walking to Rockefeller Center for the Top of the Rock experience. Here we can look out at the entire city, see all the different buildings and cars below; here people take in the grandeur of New York.
“My most memorable moment was going to the Top of the Rock. It was beautiful to see the entire city from the top of the building, and it really put how large the whole city was into perspective,” according to a student.
The rest of the afternoon is spent walking around Greenwich Village. We branch out to explore restaurants, record stores, and famous landmarks like the “Friends” apartment. I decide to venture out on my own, making a quick stop at Cornelia Street (Swifties know what’s up) before continuing to the historical queer landmark, Stonewall Inn. The place where queer pride and resistance started, this still-functioning bar has a memorial park right across the street that explains the historical significance of this street and the bar. The final show of the trip is the critically acclaimed “Wicked.” Many of us dress in either green or pink--they go together after all --and we end the trip with the lyrics of “For Good” in our hearts and minds, “I have been changed for good.”
Even though we don’t want to leave the city, the bus ride home is full of energy once again, singing and dancing into the later hours of the night until we make it home sweet home, back at MSJ.
From the Director: Kelsey DeMange’s Experience
What did you want your students to gain from this trip?
What I wanted students to gain most from the trip was the cultural growth, the social growth, and really just exploring a new city. I wanted to expand worlds. I wanted to expand their minds, to see so much adversity and diversity, that’s what I wanted to see.
Do you think people gained that? That experience? What surprised you about their reactions?
I’m getting choked up, sorry I’m still there in a way. What I didn’t expect was how amazing it would feel to see lives change on the spot. Seeing your faces during the shows, seeing your faces at the Brooklyn Bridge, and watching the realization on people’s faces was so emotional. It’s a whole different story being on the trip than being the one who has provided the opportunity, my heart is just gonna explode, and I feel like I could see people’s mindset changing about how big or small they thought the world was.
From a performance standpoint, what did you want the choir to gain from performing in some of the most famous and beautiful churches in New York?
I think it was the historical aspect of the cathedrals, for me. St. John’s is such a big musical checkmark for artists, so being a part of that history was important. There was a lot of spiritual connection in all of the churches, but even being at Trinity Church where our founding fathers went to mass was incredible. Musically, everyone adjusting to the space is hard to do, to slow things down like that and to hear it come back to you, and to sing over the echoes was hard.
What would you, personally, say was your favorite moment of the trip?
I’d say, first, “The Outsiders.” I grew up with musicals, so I typically have a feel for what’s going to happen, but I went into that show blind and I genuinely cried, shook, gassed, sobbed, and fell in love. Now I wanna sing all the music, I wanna watch the movie, and read the book, so that inspired me to expand my musical interests. I would also say being able to share my passion and my relationship with my students with my mom, is not something that everybody gets. Spending a week with her, and having my mom witness my passion was special to me.
What about the trip are you most grateful for?
Everyone had a good time! The trip was for everyone in one way or another, students wanted to go back to the city! I have gotten some of the most heartfelt responses from students. Seeing that the impact I wanted from the trip freaking worked, it’s like I’m on cloud 9, and all the work and stress we put in was worth it!
To the People Who Made this Trip Possible: Words from Choir Students
“Just wow! You couldn’t even imagine the changes in our lives and perspectives!”
“THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE MY DREAMS COME TRUE AND ALLOWED ME TO HAVE THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE!!!!”
“Thank you so much for this irreplaceable opportunity! I cannot express the amount of fun I had.”
“Thank you so much for allowing us to experience a new type of culture, and allowing us to showcase our abilities to other people out in the world that would have never heard of us until the trip.”
“Truly thank you. My outlook on life, culture, and music has completely changed forever. My spirit for music has been renewed in ways I didn’t know were possible. Thank you for expanding my horizons and renewing my passion for the joys of music. I will never be able to thank you enough for saving my soul.”
“Thank you so much for funding our trip. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I learned so much, grew as a person, and got to bond with my classmates. Without you, this would not be possible, so thank you so, so much.”
“Thank you for everything, I wouldn’t have had an amazing experience if it wasn’t for you. I have always dreamed of visiting New York and my dream came true. I will never forget amazing memories because of you. I can’t express words. I felt like I was in a different world. Thank you!!”
“Thank you so much for giving me some of the most fun days of my life. It was an amazing experience and I am so glad I got to participate and wouldn’t be able to without you!”
“Thank you for contributing to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We could not have done it without your help!”
For the full historical relevance of the places we visited, check out Brinna Otto’s article!