Philadelphia student musicians shine onstage at WrestleMania
PHILADELPHIA — Amidst the sold-out crowds of WrestleMania Sunday night, student musicians from the Philadelphia School District's All-City Orchestra took center stage, performing to a crowd of more than 70,000 as WWE Superstar Roman Reigns strode into the arena.
Philadelphia School District officials were notified about the opportunity to help with an iconic entrance just over a week before Sunday's WrestleMania event.
Initially, WWE reached out to the Philadelphia Orchestra to provide musicians for the entrance music for Reigns. The Orchestra then worked with their partners at Philadelphia Public Schools to create an opportunity of a lifetime for 90 instrumentalists, 10 vocalists and a conductor.
"A call came in and said, 'We would like to add a live orchestra to one of the superstars," said Frank Machos, executive director for Philadelphia Schools Office of the Arts and Creative Learning. Machos ended up conducting the group of musicians, which was a childhood dream come true.
"As a child, Saturday morning was [the] Hulk Hogan cartoon, and I had the Big Boss Man buddy pillow … I just love it!" he said
But perhaps the most moving experience was among the students, who learned professional skills. Percussionist Victor Rosa, age 15, played the snare drum.
"I wasn't scared, it was just excitement," Rosa said.
True to WWE's dramatic flair, the music heard during their performance was a professional recording. It was the students' job to lip-sync and hold down the beats to create the magic of the spectacle.
"You want to hit right when the track hits to give off the vibe," Rosa said. "You know, you're out there putting on a show!"
Fellow snare drummer Derek Smith, 18, learned that it wasn't all glitz and glamor — there was a lot of "hurry up and wait."
"We were waiting for eight hours," Smith said. "It was freezing out there!"
However, students enjoyed their brushes with fame.
"You see [the wrestlers] and you idolize them over social media, and then you meet them and they're also great people," Smith said.
Sisters Caroline and Natalie Vollmer, ages 18 and 16, sang along to the professional track. They said initially their dad — a huge WWE fan — wanted to chaperone but settled for watching them on TV.
"It's a really great representation of our city and the students of Philadelphia," Caroline Vollmer said.
According to Philadelphia Public School officials, the WWE plans to make a donation to support the All-City Music Program as an expression of appreciation. An amount and date for the donation has not yet been determined.