Mickey Mouse Makes Special Appearance at Garden Grove High

Gasps of excitement filled the Don Wash Auditorium when Mickey Mouse made his surprise appearance Thursday during the American Band concert at Garden Grove High School.

The Disneyland Band was joined by the famous mouse as he danced, generated laughter and even helped conduct music during the hour as Orange County second-graders clapped along.

The 15-piece band from the “Happiest Place on Earth” featured four trumpets, three saxophones, two drums, two trombones, a clarinet, piccolo, tuba and euphonium. In celebration of the heritage of American band music, the familiar pieces were chosen to represent music from the 19th century to the present.

The audience sang along to Disney soundtracks “Heigh Ho,” “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” and “It's a Small World,” bobbed their heads to Gioacchino Rossini's “William Tell Overture,” and clapped to patriotic songs “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and George M. Cohan’s special rendition, “Star-Spangled Spectacular.”

In partnership with the Philharmonic Society and Orange County Music and Art Administrators, Disney has been sponsoring the narrated event for more than 20 years to help young students become acquainted with various types of instruments and music—such as concert, jazz or march—and to share the history behind the performed pieces chosen for the concert.

Joining the Disneyland Band on stage were special guests Rebekah Gardener, a four-year horn player; Justin Nguyen, a seven-year flutist of Los Amigos High School; clarinetist Josselyn Flores; and flutist Lucas Vu of Irvine Intermediate School.

The pair of LAHS musicians was selected by music teacher Frank Garcia to perform just two weeks prior to the concert. The hours of practicing paid off for the two as they shined proudly on stage in their black and orange LAHS band uniforms and enjoyed their moments after shaking off their initial stage fright. “At first, I was nervous, but when the kids began cheering, and it felt really good to be up there,” Nguyen said.

More than 3,000 second-graders, teachers and parents from local private and public schools from Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach and Westminster attended one of the two concerts held Thursday. 

James Monroe Elementary teacher Nga Nguyen looks forward to watching the Disneyland Band perform every year and said the talents seen on stage help encourage her students to be more well-rounded.

“Coming here allows them to see art and music in a fun way outside of school,” she said. “And even if they don’t become professional musicians, they are more motivated to try to play music, and carry [the motivation] into junior high and high school.”