Friday, November 6, 2026
Fifty-two South Side High School students traded their familiar school concert stage for a much bigger audience last month by performing at Walt Disney World for the very first time.
The Oct. 15-18 trip brought together students from the school’s band, orchestra and chorus programs to form the South Side Community Choir, a pilot initiative designed to explore opportunities for students to showcase their musical talents outside the classroom.
“We wanted to do it with just a small group of students to see if it was something that we could manage, something we could integrate into the year and the curriculum,” Arts Director Kathleen Mark said.
The students performed six songs at the Waterside Stage at Disney Springs after an hourlong rehearsal. Their repertoire included “You’ll Be Found” from “Dear Evan Hansen,” “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana,” Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi,” Kyle Pederson’s “Hands Are Knockin’,” “I See the Light” from “Tangled” and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” by the Fifth Dimension.
Unlike their usual school concerts, the performance gave them an opportunity to sing for an unfamiliar public audience. Hundreds of people stopped to listen, clap along and sing with the students, according to Doreen Fryling, South Side’s IB music and chorus teacher, who conducted the group.
“They were really smiling and they were really singing their hearts out,” Fryling said. “The audience was responding, and it was just really nice.”
Mark recalled watching passersby stop during “You’ll Be Found.” A group of young adults walking through the area paused, recorded the performance on their phones and began singing along.
Another highlight was a two-hour soundtrack session at the Disney Imagination Campus recording studio. Students worked with a Disney voiceover and performing artist, learning about recording techniques, multiple takes and entertainment careers.
They practiced singing with recorded tracks, experimented with voiceover sound effects and explored the technical side of production, including software used by audio engineers that Mark said is also taught in South Side’s music production class.
At the end of the session, students discovered they had helped create a video featuring scenes from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” with their voices and sound effects incorporated into the production.
“They were blown away,” Mark said.
Beyond the performance, Fryling said the trip helped students from different musical backgrounds develop a new appreciation for one another. Some instrumentalists had not sung in a choir since elementary school, while others were learning to use their changing teenage voices.
“They got to see what each other does,” Fryling said. “They got to see how those skills came together for a common goal.”
Mark credited Fryling with preparing the students, particularly those with limited recent singing experience. Fryling organized additional lessons and rehearsals to bring the combined group together.
The trip also provided opportunities for students to develop independence. For some, it was their first time flying or traveling without their parents. Students learned to navigate unfamiliar settings, manage travel and dining arrangements and build relationships with classmates.
Next year, Mark plans to return to Disney with the school’s band, orchestra and chorus groups, expanding the opportunity beyond the pilot choir. She also hopes to explore fundraising and scholarships to make future trips accessible to more students.
For Fryling, the performance demonstrated the strength of South Side’s music program.
“I think they understood that their impact was really kind of global,” she said.
