Sylvania: High school bands head to Disney World

The combined Northview and Southview high school bands practice behind Southview High School.

For Alex Simpson today should be the day, "I've been waiting for since junior high school.''

He is one of about 275 Sylvania students who will be marching as members of the combined Southview and Northview high schools bands as they perform on Main Street USA at Disney World.

The Northview junior said band members know that the school hopes to send the combined bands once every four years and everyone looks forward to their chance.

Jessie Owens, a senior at Northview, said she's excited about the first stop for the combined bands which is the Blizzard Beach water park at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

She and her classmate, Stephanie Warnock, said band members from each school tend to know one another either from earlier performances together or going to the same junior high schools.

They said there's no sense of rivalry when the two schools put their bands together for this trip.

Eugene Bohland, band director at Northview, said the difficulty for the trip isn't the musical performance, but the logistics of transporting the band members, directors, and chaperones.

Six tour buses left Monday morning from Northview and arrived in Orlando about 24 hours later.

Mr. Bohland is on his fourth trip to Disney World and said previous trips have been busy, but the band members have been well-behaved.

Although the schools plan on the trips, they aren't at all guaranteed, he said.

The bands had to perform for a video tape which is judged by representatives of the Disney organization before a band is accepted.

Mr. Bohland said the itinerary offers a number of trips to attractions and gives the band members some free time as well.

They are scheduled to return Sunday at about 10 p.m.

Contact Mike Jones at: mjones@theblade.com or 419-724-6096.