Shout out to the D99 Honors Jazz Band.......

A special "shout-out" to the D99 Honors Jazz Band for their sounds and ethic during the 2012 European Tour.  This group of student musicians rehearsed twice as long, learned twice as much music, and played twice as many performances compared to the rest of the Honors Band.  The performed with soulfulness and swing, and, deepened the bond between the fabulous Big Band from the Musikschule and District 99.  Kudos to the students and directors for putting in the extra time and effort to make this ensemble a reality.

The mystery of the home stay..........

As a traveling student musician and band director, I've participated in home-stays for what seems like forever. When working to pair students and families, the process, more often than not, just seems to work.  There is something about pursuing excellence in music and performing on an instrument that creates a similarity in personality types that makes a relationship feasible.  I'm not saying this is an exact science - sometimes a pairing occurs that just doesn't work.  But I am saying that for a large percentage of the time, this funny thing we traveling musicians do that is called home-stays just seems to work.

 In 1984, I traveled to Japan with the IU Wind Ensemble and did home stays in several Japanese cities.  Terri and I dated for nine years before we were married in 1989, so I talked about her a lot during my Japanese home stays.   One of my Japanese home stay families sent Terri a wedding gift of a beautiful necklace without ever having met her.  I have amazing memories of traveling with the IU Marching Hundred to East Lansing and Columbus.  The stories unite me with my colleagues from the Marching Hundred across time and distance in a singularly unique manner.  The relationships that are developed during home stays are strong, and frequently, life-changing in a positive way.

I had the distinct advantage of watching a home stay relationship develop as a parent over the course of two trips, one Germany to Downers Grove, and one Downers Grove to Germany.  I was able to meet and converse on several occasions with the family that hosted Josiah and Danny.  They are fabulous people in so many ways.  I offer this observation to every parent right now that is wondering what the host family was like for their student.  While I can't offer specific insight into each instance, I can tell you through personal observation that your student was treated as a family member for just over a week.  I don't know about you, but this makes me want to work even HARDER to be a great host when our German friends begin to visit us again in two years.  This program began as an exchange of music and developed into an exchange of music and culture, but,the roots of this program are the relationships that occur in the homes in both Beitigheim-Bissingen and in Downers Grove.  I can say with extreme confidence that, because of an unusually strong root system, this exchange program grows robustly in both countries.

As a concluding aside, my daughter Allison is traveling Europe this summer with the Blue Lake International Symphony Orchestra.  Her intensive week was June 8th-16th, and her tour is from June 17th to July 12th.  No cell phones, no computers (except for random host family use by a student.)  Quite literally, virtually no contact for just over a month.  During the tour, Allison will stay with 5 host families.  I literally have no worries about this because I believe so strongly in the host family process, and, the growth that occurs in student musicians through participating in a program of this nature.  Like each of you are experiencing currently with your District 99 student musician , I can't wait until Alliison's arrival in Detroit on July 12th to hear the stories of connections and growth, through music and relationships, that she is currently experiencing.

This home stay thing works.  I can't exactly tell you why, but, in both of my children, and in all of yours, I have the chance to observe the growth that occurs.    Across cultures and across countries, we are all more similar than we are different.  The home stay experience allows our students to gain insight into that mystery in a unique manner.  It is the seed of that insight that will continue to produce growth for your student for many years to come.

Saying good-bye to our new friends........

After developing a strong bond in a short amount of time, saying good-bye usually brings a myriad of emotions.  Joy from being enriched and blessed by having your heart expanded through a new relationship.  Melancholy from the recognition that this newly found relationship is drawing to a momentary conclusion.   The day began for the students with a yummy final breakfast at home, followed by a chance to begin the good-byes with the host family at home.  Then, the entire group gathered around the coaches and began the process of saying final good-byes.  The mixture of tears, smiles and laughter was amazing to behold.





Once again, let me express my pride in the students for how they conducted themselves during this process.  The depth of the relationships was clearly apparent during this brief moment in time as we all said, for now, a fond farewell to each other.

A glimpse at a few chaperone teams........

During the course of the trip, each chaperone was assigned a small group of students, usually between 8-10. This became our method of checking-in after excursions, attendance taking, and, of making a large student group a bit smaller through more intimate face to face connections.

In over 20 years of group travel, this group of students ranks among the absolute best in terms of promptness and courtesy.  Everywhere we traveled, the people that had outside contact with our students were completely impressed by their maturity and decorum.

The chaperone teams each took on nick-names for fun during the trip.  Here is a small album of random group photos from Team Duty and Team Smarties.

When you Wish Upon a Star.....

On this day, we visited the Neuschwanstein Castle, created by King Ludwig II starting in 1869.  Kind Ludwig II expired under nefarious circumstances, and the castle was never completed.  Located in Bavaria, the castle pays homage to many great German traditions in the art, architecture and furnishings.  This castle was the prototype for Walter Elias Disney as he imagined what Cinderella's castle would look like the in Magic Kingdom.

Learning how to play a march in Heidelberg?

 The District 99 Honors Band prepares for a clinic with Lt. Colonel Beth Steele, US Army.

 Having performed and conducted our national march The Stars and Stripes Forever! nearly 5,000 times in her military career, Lt. Colonel Steele had a voice of authority during the clinic.  Lt. Colonel Steele was a contemporary of both Mr. Teague and Mr. Roselieb from Northwestern University. 

 A soccer pitch made completely from Gummi bears in the window of a shop in Heidelberg.

One of three Heidelberg Castle tour groups stops for a photograph on the balcony of the Heidelberg Castle.

Today, our students learned how to better perform a march.  With years of military band conducting experience, Lt. Colonel Steele was able to convey the things that make a march musical very concisely and quickly to our student musicians.  The transfer of learning that took place during the clinic would become even more apparent during the performances in both the Kronenzentrum and at Lochbrau.

Funny thing happened on the way to the forum......

Today we visited the Flavian Amphitheatre and the Roman Forum. Our students were literally walking the cobblestones were Roman Emperors trod. The impact of the Colosseum is remarkable. Today, the classroom boundaries were not only expanding by thousands of miles, but also by hundreds of years.

 The District 99 Honors Band victoriously enters the Colosseum.

 Students trod the paths where the great Roman gladiators journeyed.

 District 99 Honors Band students travel the pathway that is considered the birthplace of modern democracy.

Our opening days in Rome were spent intimately connected to our guide through these individualized radio receivers.  Guides could be up to 50 feet away, talking softly, and the listener still felt connected to the tour experience.

What a fabulous group of student musicians.....

The opening day of travel and the first two days in Roma have been AMAZING, due largely to the amazing group of students with which we are traveling. The breathtaking sights are only being surpassed by the developing relationships between and among the travelers in the group! Enjoy the slide show...........

Bon Voyage Downers Grove............

 Brayer Teague leads the Honor Band in Sam Hazo's ...Go!

 Northern Illinois University Professor Emeritus and friend of the D99 Honor Band Ron Modell addresses the audience on the merits of the ongoing cultural and musical exchange.

 The saxophone section of the D99 Honors Jazz Ensemble brings it home.

The D99 Honors Jazz Ensemble closes the evening with Joe Garland's Leap Frog.

Both the Honors Band and Jazz Ensemble sounded fabulous tonight during the Bon Voyage/Send-off concert.  The students have mastered a significant amount of repertoire in a short amount of time.  Both groups received heartfelt standing ovations tonight.  Well done everyone - let the final packing begin!

Hey Band - we're going to Rome........

As travel preparations continue in our home this weekend, two ruminations continue to come to the fore of my thoughts.

First, and foremost, I am traveling with 75 young adults that are amazing people and musicians.  I fully believe that I could not aspire to travel with a more remarkable group of students, and, I'm proud in advance of how they will represent our schools, our community and our nation during the course of our travels.

Frankly, going to Rome is beyond my wildest dreams up to this point in my life.  Being able to walk in the footprints of historically significant figures like Julius Caesar and the Apostle Paul causes me to both giggle with excitement and tremble with fear and humility all at once.

I'm honored to travel with this group of young adults, and, I'm thrilled to be a part of a process that expands their classroom in such a singularly unique manner.

As a very wise person once reminded me, all roads lead to Rome.........

PS - both groups have made remarkable progress during our week of intense rehearsals.  Be certain to hear the send-off concert on Monday night - you won't be disappointed.

Team Blogger!

As we near departure, you will begin to see our tour blog gradually pivot from an 'announcements & logistics' communication tool, to a more dynamic journal of the group's travel experiences.  The goal of our faculty is to turn over primary responsibility of documenting this adventure to the wonderful and very capable students of the District 99 Honors Band.

We've assembled a terrific team of six student Bloggers: three from North - three from South - three men - three women ... who are all excited to serve as your eyes and ears while the D99 Honors Band travels through Europe.

Introducing 'Team Blogger' ...

• Marjorie Fera, DGS French Horn/Trumpet (Senior) 
• Stephanie Gillen, DGN Flute (Graduate)
• Cameron Nichols, DGN French Horn (Junior) 
• Dan Reeter, DGS Clarinet (Senior)
• John Shimanek, DGS Trumpet (Junior)
• Joe Vitti, DGN Tuba/Trombone (Senior)

Did you know???

Did you know we are visiting the Roman Colosseum very soon?  Did you know that during the prime time of funcationality, lions would "pop" up out of the floor of the Colosseum to wage battles with gladiators?  Did you know that when you know something about places you are going to visit your experience will be greatly enhanced?

Check out this fabulous article from the Smithsonian Magazine that uncovers previously unknown secrets of the Roman Colosseum..........

Secrets of the Roman Colosseum