Q. What was your first reaction to the price of the trip?

R.B.- “I’m going on another trip later this year, so I was already fundraising for one trip. So I knew that fundraising for another trip would be pretty hard. So when I looked at the price I was like yeet away from that. No thank you. I was gonna try to fund-raise, actually I did try but it just didn’t work out too well.”

Q. Do you think $725 was worth everywhere Mr. Smith said the choir was going to go?

R.B.- “Well, I didn’t go on the trip. But watching everyone have so much fun, it seemed like it was almost worth it. I mean it depends on what your financial income is. If to you, $725 isn’t a lot or isn’t too much, then I say good for you then, it was worth it. But for somebody who would have spent their entire income for the month on that trip. Or would have had to skip getting groceries for the week, I would have to say it’s not worth it.”

Q. Do you wish there was a way you could have went on the trip or is there somewhere we went you wish you could have experienced?

R.B.- “I wish I could have gone cause the choir looked like they had a really good time. I wanna have that bonding experience with my choir and I had to miss out on that. So I mean, I would have loved to have gone and if I had a way to. If I did have enough money and enough fundraising opportunities I think I would have gone. There was only one fundraising opportunity provided by the conductor, which is fine cause he did what he had to do. I also think that kids without direction or any experienced fundraising wouldn’t have known how how to fund raise for that. I mean he said we could have bake sales or sell chocolate and it just didn’t happen. So I would have gone if money weren’t a problem.”

Q. Are there any places we didn’t go to that surprised you?

R.B. – “I’m surprised you guys didn’t go to sound studios. It’s a big part in music history, especially in Nashville music history.  A lot of people aren’t positive towards country music, I saw lots of complaints about it. It just bothered me that you guys didn’t go do a lot of things I would have loved to do if I had gone on the trip.”

Q.  What is something you would like to say to all the students who were able to go on the trip and have the experience?

R.B.- “I’d like to say congratulations. I’m glad that you guys had a great bonding experience. I know there was a lot of fighting between people who did and didn’t go which I think is unfair cause I think we should all be happy for each other. I would have loved to have gone if I could have. And I think that it’s important for our choir to bond over a trip like that and have fun and go to competition. So just to the group who did go I’d like to say congratulations and I’m glad you guys had a good time.”