May 20, 2026
By Aryanah Cedeño
Staff Writer
Around 100 members of LHS’ Music Program will be traveling to Boston between June 11-14 to perform at two of the city’s iconic sites. The band and color guard will be performing at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, and the chorale will be singing at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
Band director Mr. Chwalyk, who is planning the trip with color guard advisor Dr. DiMaggio and choir director Ms. Wise, said they decided on Boston as the location for this year’s trip because the $1,500 cost is reasonable, the city has a strong music scene and there is a lot to do.
“Because this year it’s the 250th anniversary of the U.S., and Boston is one of the founding cities of our nation, I thought that was a good tie-in,” Chwalyk said. “Les Misérables [will also be] touring through there at the same time, which was a huge selling point for us.”
Chwalyk said the trip will differ from last year’s, when the Music Program flew to Colorado Springs, Colorado.
“This one’s coastal, [and] we try to contrast it with previous years,” Chwalyk said.
He said the band and chorale have been getting ready for their performances in Boston.
“As soon as the spring concert ended, they started working on it on their own over spring break. We rehearsed for several months in advance to prepare the music for performance,” Chwalyk said.
He said the band and color guard are especially excited to perform the 1978 Barry Manilow song, “Copacabana.”
“We’ve [performed] it many times, but it’s the first time [the color guard will be] joining us on it, and they’re very excited about that because it’s fast and it’s fun,” Chwalyk said.
Freshman saxophonist Sam Romero said he looks forward to visiting Boston for the first time.
“From what I’ve noticed in different states, there are a lot of different cultures, and it’s exciting to see how different people act in different places,” Romero said.
He said the main challenge of the trip will be transporting the instruments.
“It’s a lot of work having to bring instruments back and forth and making sure that they’re not damaged,” Romero said.
He said he enjoyed going on last year’s trip to Colorado Springs, which is why he decided to travel with the Music Program again this spring.
“The previous trip I went on was pretty fun, and we got to see a lot of views, and I got to spend a lot of time with my friends,” Romero said. “We [performed], and then right after, we just had freedom to roam around because we were at a tourist site.”
“Everyone is such good friends, and I think the music just brings us so much closer together.”
Senior Rebecca Ruiz, a flute section leader who plays the piccolo and is president of the band and chorale, said she is sad that this will be her fifth and final Music Department trip.
“I know it’s not my last time playing in a band. However, it is my last time playing with this band,” Ruiz said. “I really just hope that we all have fun, and that we all grow as people and musicians while we’re on the show.”
Ruiz said past Music Department trips have taught her that musicians must adjust their setlist based on the location where they are performing.
“When we went to Tennessee [in 2023], we tended to play more country music. Then, when we went to Disney [in 2024], where we tended to play more magical-sounding music,” Ruiz said.
She said the band will perform a Les Misérables medley, which is appropriate since the group will be watching the musical, and many of the students had taken part in LHS’ production of the musical in February 2025. The band will also perform John Philip Sousa’s 1896 patriotic march, “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” which she said matches Boston’s rich history.
Ruiz said the most rewarding part of the trip is traveling out of state and forming closer bonds with her peers.
“Everyone is such good friends, and I think the music just brings us so much closer together,” Ruiz said.
She said the Music Department trips are beneficial because they allow students to showcase their talent.
“It’s often overlooked the amount of work that we put into everything that we do,” Ruiz said. “Everyone thinks that it just happens, and I think going out of state on a trip… is recognition [of the] good work that we’ve been doing throughout the year.”
