Willkommen!

This is my fifth exchange with the Bietigheim-Bissingen Musikschule and my sixth visit to this wonderful city. Each time I have the privilege of bringing students here, I am immediately reminded of the warmth and gracious nature of our hosts. Tonight was no exception as our tour buses were greeted by cheering German host families holding willkommen signs for our students. The light was low, and it was hard to capture clear pictures. But these should give families back home the basic idea ...

Arrividicci Italy!

Ostia Group Photo

A Colossally Amazing Morning In Roma

A Funny Thing Happened ...

... on the way to The Forum.

Caesar Walked Here

Hotel Check Out

And we are "outa here!"

Happy Birthday Bradley M.

Another D99 Honors Band student is going to enjoy his birthday in TWO different countries. Have a great day Bradley!

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...........

After a Day in Rome

Today, we got our first real chance to experience Rome. The city is beautiful, there is no doubt about that. It has an astounding ability of incorporating the old into the new to be an ancient city in modern times. To me, the most interesting part of the city was just this. The scenery is amazing, and it is just about what you would expect to see - something I felt silly being surprised by. There are plants and flowers wherever there is room, and people flood the cobblestone streets. My friend said they felt like they were walking on a movie set and this is very much like how it felt to me as well. Except the set would have no boundaries to its illusion and no cardboard façades. Because this is the real deal no matter how unreal it all seems. Despite this fantastic environment of ancient art, arcitechture, and housing, there is something familiar in the workings of the eternal city. Shops line sections of town and commuters deal with traffic in order to get to their destination. There is a feeling of annonymity and self-responsibility. If you remove the ancient artifacts and quaint streetside dinning, there is the unmistakable feeling of a big city. I don't know why this is so strange for me to realize, but Rome really does have a lot in common with any other large city I have been to. The feel of the city (I don't know hiw else to describe it) is uncannily similar even with the camouflage of Rome's movie set appearance. So after one day in Rome, I not only have great experiences seeing amazing sites, but I am also very tired. Unecessarily complex verbiage aside, I need to go to sleep. We do have another day of Rome and then a flight to see our host families in Germany all taking place tomorrow. By the way, I honestly apologize for any typos or grammatical errors I may have made. I'm pretty tired and don't feel like rereading my posts more than a couple times. Thanks.

Vatican Square Panorama

Follow this link to interact with a 360-panorama I took this afternoon:

http://www.dermandar.com/p/aUkKqj

Afternoon Touring in Roma

Welcome to Roma!

Ciao from Roma!
The only words that I can use to describe Italy and Rome are breath taking. The buildings and the sight seeing that we have done so far on day two of our overseas journey has just blown me away with how beautiful it all truly is.
Today was an amazing day with our first stop of the day being the architecturally beautiful Vatican. The Michelangelo paintings in the Sistine Chapel, the gardens of the Vatican, and the many marble monuments, frescos, and mosaics were enough to complete any day with a smile. I thought as we were walking up a set of stairs past a set of marble pillars and I thought that all of these columns, statues, and monuments were all hand carved, placed, and made with the help of no machines and it made me appreciate the Italian culture and everything as a whole so much more. The Vatican was a wonderful place to visit and it was a great way to start off the day even though the jet lag from the plane rides is still hitting me hard.
The next place we visited were the Catacombs of San Callisto where we had thirty minutes to walk through a small section of level two of the catacombs. After a hot day out in the sun in the Vatican, the coolness of the catacombs was a refreshing feeling for all of us.  you know that the Catacombs of San Callisto consist of four levels and take up over 37 acres of land? Well, when we heard it as a group we all gasped as our guide told us about how the catacombs were like a labyrinth underground and could get easily lost. Having the chance to see the catacombs was an amazing experience as well and knowing that 500,000 people were buried in the catacombs and over forty percent of them were children was very shocking news.
The final place we visited for the day was the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain is probably one of the more amazing things that I have seen in the city so far because of the immensity of the fountain and just how phenomenal the marble statues are that are placed around it. We had time to shop while we were at Trevi Fountain and we had a very relaxing time eating gelato, shopping through the small souvenir shops, and some of us walking the two miles to the Pantheon. I am so glad we had the chance to visit Rome and very sad to see it go tomorrow night but, I threw the coin into Trevi Fountain and did not look back so I WILL see Roma again before I die! If the legend holds true that is.  Tomorrow night, we are off to Germany and I will finally get the chance to meet our host families!

Buona Notte Roma!

More famous than a "Mosaic Concert" ...

Hannah C. snaps a picture of one of the most famous mosaics in the
world at St. Peter's Bascilica, Rome.

Vatican Square Group Photo

Happy Birthday Alex!

Happy Birthday Alex R. Enjoy your day in Rome!

Happy Birthday Lucy!

Lucy L. celebrated her birthday as the time changed over the Atlantic Ocean! Lucy was awakened by a very friendly Lufthansa flight crew, surrounding her seat, singing "Happy Birthday" in German, and offering her chocolate.

Lucy, we hope you enjoy your birthday in both Germany and Italy!

"This language is harder than Spanish!"

We had a pleasantly uneventful flight to Munich, with a fabulously helpful Lufthansa flight crew.



Here, the flight crew helps Joe V., Scott P. and Danny T. with a translation question. Danny's response is quoted above in the title of this blog post.





Our flight from Chicago landed about 30 minutes late, but we had plenty of time to make our connection.

All Roads Lead to Rome

 If it is still true that all roads lead to Rome, then these roads are full of fast drivers, traffic, motorcycles between lanes, and are laid out so illogically that I never know where we are. Luckily, we have a tour guide for that!

 After almost 24 hours of travelling, this beautiful city was a nice visual break for our eyes, which had been mostly focused on passing clouds. On our two plane trips, I was able to catch up with old friends, chat with close friends, and make new ones. Above, Ryan S, Sam H, and I proudly sport our orange and black tour shirts during our layover in Germany.

Alison L, Evan C, Alexis N, and Cassie B. in the Piazza San Pietro

 I have already learnt so many interesting things about Italian culture. For instance, a “bar” does not serve alcohol in Rome. In fact, “bars” are in and out type coffee houses. Also, pizza can be bought “by the meter” and sold based on the weight of the finished product. I am excited to see what real Italian pizza tastes like!

 During the short amount of time we could walk around the Piazza San Pietro I could not help but be swept away by a calm feeling. It was just an incredibly peaceful place. I am very excited to return and visit the Vatican.

We finished our day with a hearty Italian meal, including pasta, salad, meat, and dessert. Though I wonder if I will ever need to eat again (and hate to end on a cliché): when in Rome!

Roma!

Roma, Italia: Even though we're finally here, this still feels totally unreal. People are just walking around the way they would in any big city, like they don't even notice the two-thousand-year-old structures around them. I mean, am I the only one seeing all this? I've only spent a few minutes actually walking through the cty, but I feel as if I could spend a million years just drinking in all the sights. It's cliche, but true: Rome is beautiful.

And the food. We ate at the Ristorante Venerina, and okay, it's only been one meal, but wow. The guys at my dinner table could not stop saying, and I quote, "This is real pasta." Sorry Mom, but it'll be hard to appreciate American pasta after a meal like that. And as for American ice cream, I hate to say it, but Italian gelato is the clear winner. I just wish we had more than three days to try all the flavors!

My only problem with being here in Rome is the language. While it's true that all the Italians we've met so far have spoken at least some English, I'm not sure that will always be the case. That might be a problem, because with all the Italian and German phrases I've tried to cram in the last few days, I can't even keep them straight anymore. And even though I know it's more polite to say "grazie" than "thank you," I have a lot of trouble trying to pronounce the simplest Italian words. I guess I'm just a typical American tourist, after all (a bit of a let-down).

But hey, if I have to be a tourist, at least I'm in the right place: Roma!

We are checked into the Hotel in Rome

Families

 

We have had a great day, and are now checked in to our hotel in Rome.  If you were expecting to hear from your student, and did not, it is likely because they have not been able to log on to the hotel wireless network.  Results have been sketchy, and many connections are being dropped.  I am using a common computer in the hotel lobby to update the blog tonight before turning in for some much needed sleep.

 

I have several blog posts from today written on my iPad, and whenever I can finally connect to the Internet again with it, you will see some retroactive posts from today.

 

Know that your students did a GREAT job today!

 

BT

Buon giorno Roma!

Tonight we were privileged to be able to experience authentic Italian food at a local roman restraint. It was a great dinner of pasta, beef, salad, mineral water, bread and ice cream. We finally arrived at our hotel with full stomachs and enough jet lag to anesthetize a horse for surgery! Buona notte!

Checked In ... and Signing Off

We have all checked in and are clearing security. Signing off now,
and will power-up again on the other side of the pond.

Thanks again to all of our family members for a nice send-off this evening.

Nice shirts ...

DEPARTURE

So I Guess We're Going to Europe

     For the past several weeks, I was repeatedly asked about my upcoming trip to Italy and Germany.  And, for most of that time, I could tell curious friends and family only a very basic outline of what was going to happen or where we were going.  The trip crept up on me as I'm sure it did for others.  It has been a very busy couple of weeks, and I have been able to postpone the task of actually comprehending the trip to Europe by focusing instead on the more immediate events.  Now, as I sit here on my computer with my bags packed beside me, I have no such pressing events with which to distract myself.  I'm forced to realize that, in just a few hours, we'll be leaving the country.

     In addition to knowing very little about the trip to tell anyone who asked, I fear that I have given them the impression that I don't consider the voyage to be of much importance or significance.  In other words, I didn't seem too excited.  But, without the tight schedule of a week of rehearsals for various bands or the daunting task of packing to leave for a completely unfamiliar continent, I can tell you how I feel with confidence and enthusiasm: I'm super excited!  Of course I can't wait to visit Rome and play the concerts, but I am surprised by how much I am looking forward to meeting my host family in Germany.  I am eagerly awaiting each part of this adventure, and I can't wait to get started with some of the best people and musicians that I know.

Collaboration: Trailer 2.0 With Voice-over

We've received a lot of fun/positive feedback about the 'trailer' I created using the iMovie app on my iPad.  I'm glad so many people enjoyed it.

When Mr. Williams first saw the trailer he told me that he had a friend in college, named Andrew Dawson, that moved to California and has become a voice actor, doing - among other things - professional 'voiceovers' for television and film.  (He and Mr. Williams played in a brass quintet together an Indiana University.)  Mr. Williams said to me, "I can just hear Andy's voice when I see the words in the trailer you did."

Today Mr. Williams sent Mr. Dawson the YouTube link we had created.  And guess what?  Mr. Dawson graciously went into his professional recording studio and shot us back the voiceover for our trailer!

When you listen to it ... you're going to immediately recognize the voice.





So, how cool are we?!  We not only have our own trailer, but we have one with a professional voiceover ... recorded just for us today in California!

Check out some of Mr. Dawson's other work by clicking here.

Thank you, Mr. Dawson, for adding even more excitement to our impending departure!  We all appreciate your efforts today on our behalf.

Our Moment Is Here ... The Time Is Now!

Our moment is here, and the time is now.   We are less than 24 hours away from embarking on the 2012 tour. As I spent my day packing and running last minute errands, I caught myself smiling for no apparent reason ... other than just feeling genuinely proud of the members of the D99 Honors Band.


This post will mark my first that is more about 'personal reflections,' and much less about announcements and logistical detail.  From here on out I think (hope) you will find that most of my writing will be about celebrating the successes of our students, and doing what I can to keep our family and friends back home updated with news from the 'front lines.' 

So, to begin our 'celebrating,' I would like to simply say "thank you" to all of the amazing people that make up this tour entourage.  To my faculty/staff colleagues ... thanks for your hard work on behalf of our mutual students, and for going above and beyond so many times (already) to make this trip a reality for all of us.  To our wonderful students, thanks for your hard work in preparation for the tour.  My wish for you is that 15-20 years from now you will be able to look back on this experience as fondly as I remember my very first exchange in Bietigheim-Bissingen.  

Finally, this might be a good time for me to point out that on the right hand column of the blog you will see new links added to a section that's called "Through the Eyes Of ..."  If you click on any of the names of our student or staff bloggers during the tour, you will be redirected to a list of posts from that particular writer.  I hope this will allow you to narrow your reading/viewing focus as you desire.

See you Wednesday at 4:45 PM ... DGS.  Europe, here we come!

Off to Europe!

                                     
     Wow, I cannot believe last night was our send-off concert and we are leaving for our 4,800 mile exchange tomorrow. With only a little over twenty-four hours left and an entire suitcase still needing to be packed, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by the immensity of this trip that we are about to go on because we are about to stay with families we have only talked with through social media and visit cities that boast thousands upon thousands of years worth of history. (We'll be standing where some of the most famous Roman emperors stood!)
     Up until just last night during our final send-off concert, the whole idea of traveling overseas and participating in this trip just didn't feel real to me. Reading the itinerary over again this morning, I thought having the chance to visit places such as the Vatican, the Roman coliseum, numerous castles in Germany, and visiting the United States Army base are things that only happen once in a lifetime. So, as I start to pack my bags to leave, I think over this idea of once in a lifetime, and I remember why I signed up for this trip at the beginning of the school year.
     I would like to thank Mr. Teague and Mr. Williams for being awesome band directors throughout the week and truly pushing us to be the greatest at all of these pieces. (Super special thanks to Mr. Teague for taking the picture during rehearsal yesterday morning!) The pieces that we will be playing in Germany are sounding fantastic and it would not have been possible without your help!

Bon Voyage Concert Video - "...Go" & "Leap Frog"

Tour Trailer: Two Schools. One Band. An Unforgettable Journey To The Other Side Of The Planet.

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!

A Prelude to the Trip!

I will be making videos for this trip, instead of text posts. Hopefully everything works out technologically!

When In Rome ... You Will Ride An Assigned Chariot

When we tour in Rome, you will always ride the same coach bus.  The buses are divided by chaperone groups.

Please review the bus assignments list, and know if you are 'Bus 1' or 'Bus 2' for Rome.  (When touring in Germany, there will be opportunities to mix it up; we will explain once we're on the ground in Germany.)

Click here for the Rome Bus Assignments.

"One Day More"

Tuesday will be our last opportunity to pack and organize in preparation for Wednesday's departure!

Some advice for tour participants as we near departure:  go to bed as early as you can on Tuesday night, and get up out of bed early on Wednesday morning.  We want you to be as sleepy as posible by the time we take off from O'Hare.  You should try very hard to go to sleep on the aircraft as soon as dinner is finished.  This might be a challenge, especially given your level of excitement about the tour.  We promise that Thursday - in Rome - will be much more enjoyable and your transition to a new time-zone will be easier if you start to gradually pivot your body-clock in the next 48 hours.

A simple update on Passport management: In an earlier post we announced that we would distribute the blue passport wallets when students arrive at DGS for departure on Wednesday afternoon.  We actually distributed those wallets at our final student meeting on Monday morning, so students should arrive already wearing those wallets around their necks on Wednesday.

Parking Options for Tonight's Concert

You may be aware that North High is in the middle of a construction project that has eliminated our use of the Main Street parking lot on the East side of the building.  Please be aware of the following parking options, and allow extra time tonight so you don’t miss the beginning of the concert:

·         The parking lot on the West side of the building, off of Prince Street, will be open.  This lot is next to the DGN football field.  If you park in this lot, please walk to the building via Saratoga, and then Grant St., and enter the ‘Events Entrance’ – often called the ‘Prince Street Circle’.  Once you enter the building you will need to turn right, and wind your way through the Cafeteria Commons.  Once through the commons you will continue down a wide hallway toward the East side of the building, and then into the Auditorium lobby.

·         Any person with a disability (or those dropping off someone with a disability), or any senior citizens who require a shorter walk, may use the South parking lot.  This is a small gated lot that may be accessed only from Forrest Street on the South side of the school.  The gate will be open beginning at 6 pm, and parking in this area will be ‘first come, first served.’  We do ask families to only use the spaces in this lot if they are traveling with patrons who require the shorter walk, have a physical disability, are a senior citizen, or require no stairs.  You will be able to enter the doors on the South-east corner of the building, and then walk down the main hallway toward the auditorium. 

·         The final parking option will be residential parking on the East side of the building, on Highland Ave., and other blocks East of Highland Ave. 

We appreciate your patience as District 99 works to improve the master facility site plan.  We acknowledge that this creates a parking scenario that is less-convenient for families in the short-term.  However we look forward to improved parking for future Fine Arts events at North High once the project has come to closure. 

We look forward to seeing you at the concert tonight!

A Rich Culture and Friendly People Too!

In preparing for this trip, I have made a special effort to make myself culturally aware.  I come from a large Italian family (pasta four times a week) and I understand the Italian culture and language fairly well, but the culture of Germany was completely veiled before this trip. Over the last week I have begun to learn more about the German culture and history. It is truly a country of rich heritage, fine food and beautiful art and music.

I still need to work on my German though. In an email to my host family a few weeks ago, I decided that instead of looking up the translations in a German dictionary, I would just use Google translate. However, I neglected to check the translation afterwards. So instead of writing "there are no oboes in American marching bands" I sent "in America the oboe is unimportant." My gracious host student, Magdalena, acted as good sport throughout the whole thing and only offering to correct my spelling. The members of the band and I are so excited to meet our host families when we arrive next week. I am especially excited to use the new German translation book my neighbor lent me so that I “don’t say anything too rude"....

To The Mystery Continent!

Well, I've finally started to pack and say my goodbyes (and, more strangely, clean my room). Until today, it hadn't really hit me that this trip is completely real: two days from now, I'll be in Europe. I've never left the United States before, so I am unbelievably excited. I mean, how often do you get an opportunity like this? I'm going to Rome, I'm going to Germany - what could be better?

I have to say, though, I'm a little nervous as well. To me, the thought of this trip is as alien as the idea of going to the moon - I can't even fathom what it will be like. How can you prepare for something you've never experienced, or even come close to? How can you imagine the unimaginable?

I guess the answer to that question is, you can't. Some things in life are just impossible to comprehend until they happen, and I have to say, a trip to Europe with some of the most wonderful people I've ever known is definitely one of them. There's no telling what great memories are just waiting to be made. And friends, we are in such good hands - my heartfelt thanks to all our directors and the people who have made this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity happen.

And now, we wait: in just a few short days, the unimaginable will become reality. Europe, here we come!

Greetings From French Horn Land!

Wow, I cannot believe how excited I am! Up until last week, I refused to let the trip become “real” to me. It is just too good to be true, and I didn't want to be so excited so long before we leave. However, taking my French Horn out on that first day of rehearsal, the trip became completely and totally real. Now, getting ready is all I can think about. I know we are all going to have the best time!

The North High band room has become a sort of home away from home for me - probably in a similar way to what I hope my host family's house will be. The more time I spend in the band room, the more connected I feel to the people I play with in the band. I did not expect to make so many friends so fast! Plus, all the work we have been putting in really shows. We sound pretty good, if I do say so myself! I am so proud to be a part of this band and this trip. I am hoping to see everyone at the preview concert tomorrow night to show how hard we have been working.

Also, I want to say a hearty thank you to everyone who is making this happen, from the organizers, band directors, parents, and host families to the students who have been working so hard to get ready. I know that everyone's effort will be worthwhile when we take part in this amazing experience.

Bon Voyage Concert / Poster Signing

Two more days.  Can you believe it?!

A reminder to families and friends in the community: come hear the terrific sounds of the District 99 Honors Band in a 'Bon Voyage Concert' to be held at 7 PM in the North High Auditorium, Monday, June 11th.  The concert will begin with approximately 30-35 minutes of music from the full band, and will conclude with approximately 30-35 minutes of music from the jazz band.  Both ensembles will be playing 'highlights' from a larger set of tour repertoire.

(Musicians: remember we are wearing our 'casual' concert attire for this performance - tour shirt/black t-shirt/black dress pants/black closed toe shoes)

Following the concert, at approximately 8:15 PM, tour participants and at least one parent/guardian are asked to stay for a short (and final) tour meeting.  We expect our final announcements to take only 15- 20 minutes.  And, as students are leaving on Monday night, we will ask them to sign our two tour posters.  They will be framed and one will hang at each campus for years to come.