The Chattanooga Girls Choir

Day 2
Wed., June 21

We got up nice and early this morning and had a buffet breakfast in a room reserved just for us. By 8:00, we were on the bus and bound for Fullerton College, where the girls were scheduled for a workshop with the choir instructor, Mr. John Tebay. Mr. Tebay warmed up the girls' voices and complimented them on their mature sound and good musicianship. He then asked Mr. Huey to direct them in singing a few songs from the tour repertoire, after which Mr. Tebay worked with the choir on those pieces, offering suggestions for ways to make their singing even more powerful and emotional. He told them how excited he was to be able to "fine tune" a choir of their superior ability and training -- he had not anticipated how good they would be, and he was tremendously surprised and appreciative.

After spending an hour and a half with Mr. Tebay, the choir again boarded the bus and headed for Universal Studios theme park. The entire group began with the tram studio tour, where we saw famous sets and learned about special effects and the "short cuts" that studios take to simulate reality. (Did you know that the "moss" on trees and logs in the movies is really a mixture of sawdust, toothpaste, and green food coloring?) Along the tour, we were assaulted by a huge King Kong, shaken by a tremendous earthquake, sprayed by Jaws, and twirled by the Curse of the Mummy! Not a bad introduction to the fun we would have at Universal! The rest of the day, each chaperone group wandered independently through the park, trying to get in as many rides and shows as possible. The weather was perfect and the lines were short, so it was a very enjoyable day. The Jurassic Park boat ride, with its roller-coaster drop and huge splash at the end, was a big hit, as was the Back to the Future thrill ride (which Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Chandler's group went on 4 times!). The 3-D special effects of the Terminator 2 show also wowed many girls (and Mr. Huey!), and some of the older girls got to sing and dance on stage with the Blues Brothers! (Ask Elizabeth about her "Shout!" performance!)

By 6:30, the groups of exhausted but happy girls made their way back to the bus. Our next stop was the Old Spaghetti Factory, where the decor was fascinating (even some booths made from old iron beds and trolley cars! ), the service was great, and the food was tasty and filling. Finally, it was time to back to the hotel.

The Radisson is a nice place to stay, with a very friendly staff. The only complaint has been that some of the rooms smell of smoke, so the hotel arranged for girls on the 2nd floor (a "smoking" floor) to move to the 4th floor (a "non-smoking" floor). After repacking and transferring everything up 2 floors, everyone was finally ready to crawl into bed. We have a late wake-up call tomorrow -- 7:45 --since we aren't due at the Disneyland gate until 10 am. We'll let you know how the performance goes!

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John Tebay of Fullerton College works with the girls on "Life Has Loveliness to Sell".

Carol, Liz, Jennifer, and Chaya try to prove themselves worthy of their friend Hercules.

Morgan grabs her camera as King Kong appears right next to the tram! (You may need to turn up the brightness control on your monitor to see him.)

Several groups watched the Waterworld special effects stunt show, with zooming (and splashing!) Jet Skis, explosions, and a very acrobatic cast.

Johnna, Lauren, Morgan, Alyson, and Lisa with three new famous friends.

A tired but satisfied group after a day at Universal Studios. The man in the middle of the pack (with the sunglasses ) who looks like Billy Bob Thornton is our tour guide, Mark.

April, Katie, Morgan, Lauren, Amanda, and Melanie wait for their gourmet spaghetti to arrive.

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