On Friday, April 8, the Central High School band packed up their instruments and embarked on a nine hour road trip to Chicago, Illinois. There, they performed and experienced the Chicago culture through art, music, and food.

Mr. Bobby Dugan, who was the band director at Central over 30 years ago, is still actively involved with the band and is beloved by its students. He has traveled with the band on previous trips, such as last year’s trip to Disney, and was a chaperon on this year’s trip to Chicago.

“The trip was fantastic. [the students] exhibited great behavior and I loved experiencing the Chicago lifestyle with them. We ate pizza, toured Sears Tower, and saw the Blue Man Group. The Blue Man Group was my favorite part of the trip,” expressed Dugan.

“If I’m asked to go on a trip with the band, I won’t hesitate to go,” explained Dugan,”I love traveling with the band; I love to experience life and culture with them.”

For many students, this trip was the first time they were able to leave the Southeast, and it was a great chance for students to form life-long bonds and memories.

“I gained new friendship from the trip,” explained Jasmine Burgess, a percussionist and graduating senior, “I stayed with people that I normally wouldn’t spend much time with outside of the band room. I really learned to love a lot of my fellow band members.”

One of the highlights for the band students on the trip was seeing the Blue Man Group, a world-renowned performance art group that formed in 1991.

“My favorite part was the Blue Man Group,” Lily DeCordova, a flutist and graduating senior stated, “They have blue face paint and dance to percussion music. It was the first interpretation group I’v ever seen, and it was the best part of the trip.”

On Wednesday, April 11, the band returned from their trip to finish out a strong year. Central High School and the Central Digest are proud of this year’s work from the band, and we are excited to see what further successes the band creates.