Coronado band performs in Ireland in once-in-a-lifetime trip

The Coronado High School marching band felt the luck of the Irish as it traveled nearly 5,000 miles overseas to perform.

About 70 students visited Ireland March 13-18 and participated in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Dublin.

“For some of these kids, it was the first time they’ve been overseas. For one student, I know it was his first time even on a plane,” said band director Benjamin Franke. “I think this kind of travel is so important, and I wanted it to be fun and easygoing. I didn’t want it to be the high-stakes, high-stress environment that these types of trips can create.”

The school, 1001 Coronado Center Drive, was selected through an application process in which Franke and his associate director Jeff McCracken submitted a performance video to the festival coordinators. Coronado was one of 11 marching bands invited from the United States.

“Ireland does parades very differently from the U.S.,” Franke said. “Here, we would be accustomed to two people deep on either side, and they’d be yelling and cheering. In Ireland, we had 20 people deep on either side, and while they were very happy and excited, everyone was quiet and polite.

“In addition, they don’t do traditional floats. They have these very high-quality productions they call pageants, and it was like watching a pared-down Cirque du Soleil performance. It was amazing.”

Trumpet player Jordan Gorov, 16, said he was culture-shocked at first because attendees were “hanging out of windows and climbing on stoplights” to watch the performance, but it didn’t make him nervous.

“I personally love performing,” Gorov said. “When I go to college, I want to major in music and music performance, so going to a foreign country and doing something I love was an incredible experience.”

In addition to performing, Franke said his students spent the majority of the time sightseeing. They visited an 18th-century monastery, the Malahide Castle, a medieval monastery, author Oscar Wilde’s house and more.

Flute player Christine Keylian, 16, said she enjoyed seeing how a different culture lived.

“My favorite part was interacting with so many people who differed from us,” Keylian said. “I remember someone coming up to me and saying, ‘I love your accent.’ It was so cool how we stood out to them instead of the other way around.”

Franke said he enjoyed seeing his students explore the Irish culture and find similarities in their own lives.

“They have and do all the same things in Ireland that we do in the United States. It’s just different because it’s a different culture,” he said. “It’s like there’s an infinite way to add to 10, and they’re all correct. They’re different but correct.”

Keylian, an aspiring music educator, said she and the other students are grateful for the opportunity to learn and perform while traveling.

“We just want to thank Mr. Franke and Mr. McCracken for the amazing experience,” she said. “I don’t know how we got the opportunity to do this, but I know Ireland didn’t call us up and ask us to perform. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we have them to thank for that.”

For more information, visit coronadoband.com.

To reach Henderson View reporter Caitlyn Belcher, email cbelcher@viewnews.com or call 702-383-0403. Find her on twitter: @caitlynbelcher.