PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend High School band and orchestra are hosting a movie screening of “The Bowmakers” at the Rose Theater on Sunday as a fundraiser to offset costs for their spring trip to Los Angeles.
The two groups are trying to raise $25,000 to help with the cost of the trip for the students. While on the five-day trip, students will have a professional recording session with Capitol Records, tour the University of Southern California (USC) School of Music, watch the Los Angeles Symphony and possibly practice with another high school.
The point of the trip is to expose students to the professional music industry, band and orchestra director Daniel Ferland said.
“The highlight is for the kids to do the recording session and learn about the industry, learn how to be a professional musician. So that’s why we’re doing the Capitol Records thing,” Ferland said.
“Kind of the basis of the trip is real life, like careers in music and learning about that.
“So the first part would be going to Capitol Records and learning about how to actually record an album. The second part would be being able to see the actual [Los Angeles] symphony and watch them do a performance,” Ferland said.
“The last part is going to USC basically to learn about a school of music, so they can further their education and find out what it takes to enter a large university.”
The overall cost for the trip is estimated at $45,000, with approximately 60 band and orchestra students costing $875 each, Ferland said.
The trip will be from April 1 to April 5, 2020.
The groups go on a trip every two years, with their previous trip in the spring of 2018, also to Los Angeles, Ferland said.
The film screening Sunday was organized with the help of “The Bowmakers” producer Rocky Friedman.
“The Bowmakers” is about the five famous bowmakers who live in Port Townsend and was recently shown at the Port Townsend Film Festival. The showing is Sunday at 12 p.m. at the Rose Theater, 235 Taylor St. Tickets are $10 per person and the proceeds go toward the trip.
Another fundraiser the musicians have been utilizing is having small groups busk around Port Townsend — such as at Safeway and near Pope Marine Park during the Port Townsend Film Festival — playing music while members of the community gave them cash donations.
So far the groups have raised a total of $3,900, as of Monday afternoon, and if people want to donate and are unable to attend an event in person, they can go to pthsmusic.com to donate directly to the music programs.
While in Los Angeles, Ferland hopes that the band and orchestra will be able to meet up with another high school orchestra/band and play together.
“We haven’t worked this out yet,” Ferland said. “But we’re hoping that while we’re down there we’ll be able to work with another high school orchestra as well and do a collaboration.
“That’s in the early stages, but we’re pretty sure we’re going to make that happen. We don’t know who yet, but I have a few different schools have expressed interest in us coming for a day to visit and to combine orchestras.”
The groups will also be holding a benefit concert Nov. 13 starting at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church located at 1111 Franklin St.
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5, or at [email protected].
Port Townsend High School orchestra students Leona Lee, left, Kerith Pray and Kaylen Pray perform near Pope Marine Park on Water Street during the Port Townsend Film Festival to help raise money for their trip to Los Angeles in the spring. (Daniel Ferland)
