Photo/LAVINIA KERR WESTSIDE AND ODSS COMBINED BAND HEAD FOR N.Y. Christina Huth a grade 10 student from Westside and Natalie Davis, a grade 12 student from ODSS are taking part in a combined school band that is traveling to New York City this week. This week a bus loaded with students from both high schools in Orangeville will be traveling south for a visit to the Big Apple.

The school bands from Orangeville District Secondary school (ODSS) and Westside Secondary combined efforts for the first time this year and offered a trip to members of the bands.

The trip includes several performances, making it a working trip, for the students and in preparation the two bands have been practicing as a single ensemble, for several weeks.

"It was a fairly smooth transition," says Clyde Thornhill, Westside's music teacher and trip coordinator. "The musicians are very compatible."

The combined band performed at the Dufferin Youth Arts festival earlier this month for the first time in front of an audience.

"It was a great opportunity for the band," said Mr. Thornhill..

School trips are a nice break from the classroom and band member Natalie Davis, a grade 12 clarinet player representing ODSS, is looking forward to seeing Times Square.

"This is the trip I will want to remember - my final high school trip," she said.

Christina Huth, a grade 10 alto saxophone player from Westside, is embarking on her first band trip.

"There is a lot of things to see, but I am most looking forward to seeing the Empire State Building lit up at night," she said.

Mr. Thornhill and Doug McIlwain, head of music at ODSS, are sharing the conducting duties and according to Ms. Davis and Ms. Huth, each teacher has his own style, but the band members have learned to adapt fairly easily.

"We didn't have a lot of time to practice together," says Ms. Davis. "But, I think we are use to each other now."

The 42-member band (17 from Westside and 25 from ODSS) leaves today (Thursday), with a short stop in Niagara Falls for a performance, before heading across the border.

Besides sightseeing the group will be taking in the Broadway show STOMP.

"There is a full agenda - sure to please everyone," says Mr. Thornhill.

The students will be spending most of the long weekend in the city that

never sleeps and returning on Sunday May 21. making music together