Help yourself to BT's pictures

A number of folks have contacted me asking if it's okay to download pictures that I posted to the Blog. Thanks for asking. The answer is YES! That's why I posted an album here.

To those who may not have noticed, on the right side of the page is a link to a BT's Photo album. I have tried to include some of my pictures here of events where students may not have had their cameras available. I also included section pictures that were taken at the Musikschule lunch. Enjoy, and help yourself.

BT

AN ALOHA HAIKU TO GERMANY

Bags a mess. Laundry.
Family. Baseball. Meetings.
I miss Germany.

Final Thoughts And Pictures

So here I am sitting at home, listening to some football music my host family gave me, and reflecting on my time abroad and my first trip overseas. As the trip came to a close, I caught myself wishing for more time to spend in Germany. I couldn't believe it, as much as I missed my home, the thought of leaving such a beautiful country was almost unbearable. The air was clean and the land was green and beautiful.








(Berlin from the airplane, taken shortly after takeoff)










(The fields in Bietigheim-Bissingen behind my house)









I have learned so much and met so many different people, German, Czech and even new people from DGS. People from different walks of life, all brought together through music. Music truly is the universal language, and I am glad I was able to be a part of this exchange. I would really like to thank my wonderful host family for taking great care of me and making me feel more like a member of the family instead of just another tourist visiting their house.






(My host family)








There is so much about Germany that I will miss.I think that I will miss all of the excitement of the football games in the Euro Cup tournament a whole lot. It was so much fun to be caught up in the noise and excitement of the public viewings. I will definitely miss Bionade (a cross between lemonade and soda that is all natural) and all the bakeries along the streets in Germany (mmmm.... Fresh bread every morning!). I really loved all the historical sites that we visited, I think the one that had the most impact on me was the Teresienstaldt Memorial for some of the Jewish victims of WWII. It was shocking to see all the gravestones in a line and to think that it was all the idea of a single person that set this tragedy in motion.







(Teresienstaldt Memorial)






Well I guess this is probably a final goodbye from me unless I find something else I think is worth sharing. I would like to again thank the directors and chaperones for everything they did from setting up the trip to helping students get from place to place on time (shout out to Mrs. Williams for always being on time) and to all the drivers and tour guides for being excellent and always getting us to where we needed to be. Peace to all and thank you for reading.


Tschüss,
Ben Tullis

Home at last

Well, as we have now been home for a day, I thought I'd post my last blog (and first blog in a while, as it turns out) as a reflection on the trip as a whole. One word sums up my feelings on the tour: epic. Epic music was performed in our concerts. Epic experiences were shared among friends as we saw the historic sights of Germany and the Czech Republic. Epic perspectives were gained, through learning what it was like to live in communist housing during the Russian occupation of East Berlin and the Czech Republic. Epic food was most certainly ingested, as Mr. Williams will enthusiastically attest to. I myself, had an overall epic cultural experience. The knowledge I gained of Germany, magnified by my love of Germany and the German language, is priceless. The friendships we made and fostered were most definetely epic. The constant feeling of brotherhood and selflessness towards those who need a little help to get by was astoundingly epic. As many may know, without these epic qualities, I would not have been able to finish a successful trip. Sure, we had our rough patches, as all trips and tours do, but we got there and oh, what a ride it was. We all miss Europe very much, I'm sure. We miss our epic host families, or "German parents," as I and other students have dubbed them. But we also are happy to be home with our real families, and a nice summer to share with friends and family before we embark into future years. For many of us this means college. Some others are continuing their high school careers. Whatever the case may be, we are better people because of the epic experiences we shared together on this most epic tour to Europe. I want to extend a personal thanks to everyone for all your help and caring, and I wish everyone this best in their future endeavors. As we say in German, "Gesundheit, schoenheit, und viel Gluck!" (To good health, beauty, and lots of luck!), auf wiedersehen...CP

Wittenburg Concert in the Press

I had this message in my email inbox this morning, from the person who organized our concert in Wittenburg:

=======================================

Dear Brayer,

This was in today’s online version of the MITTELDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG WITTENBERG – a raving article on page 1!!!!

Enjoy!

Andrea

http://www.mz-web.de/artikel?id=1213517451201

All These Places Feel Like Home

As good as it is to be home, I can't help but look back on the last two weeks and feel more than a little sorry that it's all over. Though the second week of touring was a lot of fun, I know that the first week spent in Bietigheim is what will really stay with me forever.
Saying goodbye to my host family was more difficult than I could have imagined. What could I say? "Thank you for sharing your beautiful home with me?" "Thank you for making sure I saw and experienced the things that make your lives special?" "Thank you for keeping me so well-fed and being so understanding about my preference of water (no bubbles!)?" "Thank you for talking to me, for asking me questions, for caring about what I had to say, for making me feel appreciated and loved?" I tried to sort through these endless sentiments, trying to find one that would really express my gratitude for each and every thing my host family had done to make me feel at home. I finally decided on a simple but heartfelt, "Thank you for... everything."
I have no idea how or why or when it happened, but every last one of us connected with the people of Bietigheim in a way that can't really be explained in words. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we were all aware that we were a part of something greater than a music exchange. We all fell in love with Bietigheim, with the people, the music, the city. It's an emotion that I think we're all a little afraid to feel, because we know it will never be exactly the same as it was at this point in time. At the same time, though, it's worth it. Because we will forever look back on this time as a time when we were part of something that brought together strangers and made us into lifelong friends. We have all learned lessons in musicianship, friendship, and acceptance. We have all changed for the better.

Arrival @ DGN estimated 1 - 1:15 PM

B. Teague

Sweet Home Chicago

Tochdown: 11:27 AM.

Made our connection ...

... with seconds to spare!

Berlin Airport

We are checked in, and waiting to board our flight to Munich.

Estimated Arrival @ DGN

Good evening (or morning!) from Berlin. It's 1:00 AM here, and in just two hours we will load the buses for our journey home. It's raining hard outside (the first time in over a week we've had any rain). Our guide said tonight, as we returned from the Berlin Symphony Orchestra concert, "Berlin is crying because you are leaving."

If all connections are smooth, and flights are on schedule, we arrive at O'Hare at 11:40 AM. We anticipate it will be 1 PM before we clear US Customs and load our buses. My best guess is that we'll arrive at North High (Prince St.) between 1:30 and 2:00 PM.

I trust families can track our flight status from the Blog. If we are late landing, tack on that extra time to our 1:30 expected arrival.

A request: Mrs. DePeder and several helpful volunteers will be in the lobby of the Prince St. Circle with two large posters of the Wittenberg concert poster. We would like every band member to sign BOTH posters before they depart the North campus. The posters will ultimately be framed, with one hung at North and one hung at South. In all the excitement of arriving home, students could easily forget to walk into the building and sign the posters. Would you please remind them?! This will be the only opportunity for signing the posters. Many thanks for your help.

Your students have been tremendous ambassadors over the past two weeks. Our faculty is very proud of them, and you should be as well.

See you soon,

Brayer Teague

Final Thoughts

Hello! Or rather goodbye...

It is our last night in Germany and while all of us will be sad to go, we are at the same time ready to leave. As tiredness has started to kick in, our minds have drifted more and more to the things and people we miss. The top of the list right now is torn between family, friends, home-cooked meals and shower heads that are actually mounted on the wall.

I think I speak for all of us when I say that these two weeks have been one amazing and unforgettable experience after another. The people, the music, and the rich history have combined to give all of us memories and friends we will have for the rest of our lives. Thank you to all parents, band directors, and others that made this trip a reality. We all owe you so much that my words cannot be adequate. Thank you from the bottom of my heart - your hard work is appreciated.

Much love from Deutschland and congrats to the futball team for making it into the semifinals! We will see you tomorrow!

The Times They Are A Changin'

Ok... Here's a confession for all of you... In high school, I was not the best Social Studies/History student in the world. I was OK. I did my homework, did well on tests and such, but was much more interested in my music classes.

Go figure.

So now, here I am a music teacher with the opportunity to share these incredible international experiences with students. I've made music and worked with our students in Ireland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, and France. And each and everytime, as cliche as it may sound, those old high school history books come to life. The bus and walking tours are taking us through all those imporant places that we've read about and learned about in school, that for me at least are kind of still in my brain but the details are a bit foggy.

I remember taking those history courses and thinking, "wow, this stuff happened SO long ago." Now, a bit older and a bit wiser (hopefully?) I'm figuring out that things like the Second World War and the Cold War happened pretty recently, all things considered. What's more, I grew up during some really important events in our world history.

To see Dresden coming back to life so gracefully and beautfully - Using the most modern of technology to reconstruct some of the oldest and most ornate buildings I've ever seen. Conciously constructing new buildings in an old style to maintain the integrity of thier historic community. And most of this work has happened in the last 10 years!

To drive through Berlin and see only remenants of the Berlin wall, and again seeing renewal and growth everywhere we go. And in Berlin, just as in Dresden, modern architecture and art is married to the past with incredible results.

The last World War did not simply end and get put away in the history books. We are ALL still living with the results of that tragic and often horrific conflict. The good news is that there are incredible stories of rebirth to be shared world wide! And we can all still be a part of it. Being a part of something like the re-opening of a theater in Wittenberg or encouraging the development of an arts program at the English School in Prague seem small and insignificant right now, but where will those two programs be in five, ten, twenty years and beyond? How many lives will be touched by the simple gesture of sharing our love of music?

I have the pleasure of teaching a popular music history course at North. I've found myself teaching them that the most important thing to learn is not all the specific song titles, artists, dates, and so on. What's much more important is what does it all mean? How does this all connect? How does this affect our music today? And then I realize that I missed the main idea back in those history classes!

Our tour experiences have encouraged me to go back to the library to fill in the gaps in my mental "history" file cabinet. I want all these things to make more sense to me the next time I come back, so I can continue to offer some more insights to our students... and because I'm simply facinated by the the wonderful people and places we've experienced on this journey!

To our families and our students' teachers and North and South - Our students "get it". They asked the right kinds of questions, paid attention to what was around them and always conducted themselves with class and pride in representing themselves, the District 99 community, our state and our nation. Thanks for sharing them with us the last two weeks!

My first post for the blog was sent five minutes before midnight on the day we left. We're getting up in two hours now for our journey home. At least I'm consistent!

Thanks for keeping up with the blog. Looking forward to seeing many of you upon our return in not-too-many hours...

Oh yeah... more pics and video when we get home... and I take a nap. :)

Last day in Berlin

Today is our last day in Berlin before the group travels back home. Many people are sad to leave and want to stay longer while others are ready for the comforts of home. I (Katharine) am very lucky to be able to stay in Europe for another week and a half as I go to France and meet my family there.
The past few days we have been in Berlin. It is an incredible city, full of culture and history. We took a bus tour and drove past the largest part of the Berlin wall that is still standing. It was very powerful.
Last night we traveled to Wittenberg for our last concert. We played in a small local theater that had once been a Nazi headquarters. The theater is now privately owned and is in the process of trying to regain popularity. It runs solely on donations. Today Mr. Teague told us that District 99 is now going to donate to this theater, which the people were thrilled to hear about. Some women who work at the theater had tears in their eyes when they heard about the donation. It was very touching. The people of Wittenberg were incredibly generous and welcoming. They were very happy to have us there.
Today has been very relaxing. We have free time in Berlin. It´s a very nice way to end the tour. We will see you soon!!

REACHING OUT (The European way)

There are many things I absolutely adore about Europe. I have mentioned the food in a previous blog. The people are amazing. The food. The historical sights are breathtaking. Did I mention that the food is really, really good? The German way to say this (and I am not making this up) is lecker, lecker. This is prounced “licka, likca.” Again, I am not making this up.

There are also many things about Europe that confuse me. First, the whole bathroom experience here is quite new and unusual. You have to pay for public toilets. Sometimes, there is a machine to take your money, sometimes there is a person to take your money. At the truck stops, you get a bathroom rebate coupon for money off your food purchase. Sort of a “poopon coupon” if you will. Very nice. The lights are on the outside of the bathroom door. Several times during this trip I have entered the bathroom, shut the door, and began to look for the light. No matter how hard I look, the light switch is not there. To illuminate your business, you must first open the door and probe the outer wall with your hand. Fascinating experience, to say the least. Europeans also generally only flush after #2, an environmental notion of which I am really in favor. The flushing mechanisms are different, usually a very, very, very large button on the wall above the toilet. Again, confusing at first, but now I am beginning to “see the light.”

Computer keyboards are a unique experience. While this is being created from an American keyboard, I have sent my children several e-mails that looked like a font titled “caveman.” I have spent at least 45 minutes during the past week searching for the “y” key and for the “@” key. These 45 minutes have been nothing short of pure bliss……

Currently, the EURO CUP is occurring. Games are broadcast every night. Entire cities are stopping to watch TV or listen to the radio to keep track of their national team. People singing songs, loudly and in what resembles a unison pitch, that promote the athletic fervor. This is almost like the Super Bowl happening every other night – it is really pretty cool!

Finally, the money here is really confusing. I have decided that it is all just play money, and that I’ll reconcile with my bank when I return to Downers Grove. In the Czech Republic, the currency is the Cronin. About 1,245.327 Cronins equal one dollar. In Germany, the currency is the Euro. About 2.75 Euros equal one dollar. Don’t even try to get me to go from Cronin to Euro – sort of like transposing alto sax to French horn for me. There have been several times on this trip I have just held out a handful of change and asked the person at the counter to take the proper money. I am on my third wallet since being here, but people seem quite happy when I leave places. Anyway, I have to go to the bathroom right now, so this blog must end. I am looking for my .30 Euros to help meet my needs. In any case, I’ll wash my hand when I am done. I am planning on proposing a new band fund raiser upon our return – with nearly 5,500 kids at in District 99, that is a lot of bathroom money each day……………

Music - a gift in so many ways

It’s hard to know where to start. I guess I’ll begin by saying I’m totally exhausted tonight. (In a totally ‘wunderbar’ kind of way.) The tired feeling I’m experiencing is not solely tied to the sheer physical exertion of travel/sight-seeing/performance. Rather, as I compose this (speeding down the autobahn on a charter bus from Wittenberg back to Berlin) I think my body is responding to a wonderfully exhilarating performance at the Phoenix Theater of Wittenberg (and related events detailed in this post). Add to this that it was our final performance of the tour, and that it was the final “high school” music performance for many on this tour, and we’re all feeling a bit sentimental tonight.

Aside from our time in Bietigheim with host families, I think today has been my favorite of the tour. So, this will also likely be my longest post of the journey (just skip it now if you like). I also suspect this will be my last post prior to our arrival back in DG. (I’m sure a few concluding posts will trickle in from our Blogging team in the days following our return, so I encourage families to check back – especially for the chance to hear more from students who had little access to blogging technology in the second week.

We began with a visit to the Reichstag (Germany Parliament), which is the equivalent of a stop at the U.S. Capitol Building. Normally, a student tour such as ours would be limited to the standard public tour of the reconstructed dome (which was indeed cool). Here’s a shot of it …




But because of the special exchange relationship we have with the Bietigheim Musikschule, our group experienced a very special meeting with a member of the German Parliament, Herr Harald Leibrecht. Mr. Leibrecht is a representative from Bietigheim, and actually played in their Musikschule’s band when the first exchange to the United States was forged many years ago. It was very exciting to meet him. What a charismatic man. Our meeting at 8:30 AM began with his Chief of Staff, as he was on a plane early this morning from southern Germany back to Berlin. He got off his plane, and was driven quickly back to the Reichstag to meet with us. Mr. Leibrecht, if you are reading this: THANK YOU AGAIN for meeting with our students, and again reinforcing the importance of this international exchange. Following the meeting with Mr. Leibrecht the official photographer “made picture” of the group, and I asked Ben S. if he would please present our official tour polo shirt to Mr. Leibrecht as a thank-you. Ben did a great job. Both pictures follow …






















Our tour of Berlin today included the Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin Wall. Both are destinations that I have looked forward to visiting for many years (especially since ’89 when The Wall fell). The visit again confirmed for me that you cannot truly appreciate history by only reading about it in books. In the upper left hand corner of this picture you might be able to make out some writing that several of the students took note of during the tour. It read: "Maybe someday we will be together." I think that one thought, frozen in time, was meaningful for our students who have really appreciated the connections forged these past two weeks in Germany.









After a quick stop for lunch our buses proceeded to Wittenberg, where we visited the church where Martin Luther is buried. Our local guide – an English teacher originally from Iowa – was very easy to understand! Yet again, another incredible encounter with history. Here’s a shot of the church where Luther preached and is buried. The bell tower is inscribed with the phrase “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” (but of course in German).





Our students played so musically and with such passion and energy tonight. The theater was very special. Having been constructed in the 1920s, the building was acquired by the Third Reich during Hitler’s rule, and was converted to the headquarters of the Nazi party. Later the German Democratic Republic took control of the building, and it became a state-run theater, producing opera and classical music for the area. In the 80s, the funding stream for the arts was depleted, and the theater fell on very hard times. Just recently (about three years ago) an American couple bought the theater at auction, and has opened it up as a private theater with hopes of improving cultural offerings in the city. This is a proud city, but one that is dealing with hard economic times (10-12% unemployment currently). There’s not a lot of money for the arts, but it is so exciting to see this beautiful old theater being reinvented with an eye to the future. The owners, and many from the town, came out to hear our concert tonight. It was a ticked event, and was a sell-out. I think our students felt like musical super-stars tonight. Loud applause greeted both the concert band and the jazz band, and they cheered for multiple encores. Cory P. did a great job introducing each piece in German, and they really appreciated his smooth use of the language. In fact, near the end of the concert, the coordinator of the event asked Cory to return to the stage where the audience again applauded his efforts to connect our students with the German audience. Here are some shots of the concert …

















While the concert band was doing a sound-check on stage tonight, Mr. Williams pointed out to me a wall of the theater lobby that recognized patrons who have supported the ongoing renovation of the theater through financial contributions. We jointly agreed that it seemed very appropriate – given the warm reception we felt today from Wittenberg (and those associated with the theater) – that we as a Fine Arts program make a contribution. So, as we invited the owner of the theater, and her colleague who had coordinated the concert onto the stage for the sharing of our tour shirt, we surprised the audience by announcing that the District 99 Honors Band would pledge a 500 Euro contribution toward the restoration of the theater. I have to tell you, I will NEVER forget the reaction of the audience. Mr. Williams and I were sure they would be appreciative, but we could not have anticipated the way in which this announcement seemed to literally “take the breath away” from the audience, and the concert coordinator in particular. There was an audible gasp as we offered our financial pledge, and both women had tears in their eyes.

You know, there have been several moments on this tour where I have been acutely reminded how fortunate I am to be an American. How fortunate I am to live within the District 99 community. How many opportunities our children/students have that get taken for granted. (Our hotel in Prague was no ‘Holiday Inn’ … but I’m actually really grateful that our students had the opportunity to live in a hotel that was once a communist house … and realize how fortunate they are to be free.) Tonight, as we shared our music with our final European audience – an audience that is yearning for the arts to return in a more prominent way to their small corner of the world – it felt really, really good to give.

One final word tonight: we had the good fortune to meet a DGN Band Alumnus today in Berlin. Karla Gutzke, a 2006 North High graduate, is studying this year in Berlin as a part of an exchange in consort with the University of Illinois. Karla traveled on the tour to Germany/Austria with us in the summer of 2005, and it was so much fun to see her today. Before we left for Europe, Karla helped Mr. Miller with many of the translations we needed to coordinate for the trip (concert announcements, etc.). Thanks Karla, and enjoy the rest of your stay in Berlin! Thanks for coming to our concert in Wittenberg.

IN THE MIDST OF HISTORY

Guten morgen:

We are back in Germany - it almost feels like home! We are visiting places that I've only read about in books or seen in photos. Reading about Terazin is one thing - experiencing Terazin first-hand is an entirely different experience. The two photos above provide only a minimal representation of the effect of visiting this haunting place.

My father flew in the Berlin Airlift. I am standing in Berlin right now wondering where he landed, where he walked. I have never had history effect me on a personal level prior to this experience. Yesterday, we visited the door in Wittenburg where the Reformation began. I was walking in the dust of Martin Luther, one of the greatest theological thinkers ever. Begin amist historically relevant places that are personally striking is moving me in ways that mere words are unable to convey.

Thanks for reading -

Glenn Williams

Touring in Dresden - arrival in Berlin

We said good-bye to the Chezk Republic today and headed west and north to Berlin. 

Mid morning:  Stop at the Teresienstaldt Memorial, where our students had the opportunity to pay their respects to the thousands who lost their lives in this region during the Holocaust.  

Mid day:  Our primary touring stop today was Dresden.  Oh my, what a beautiful city!  I have studied the history of Dresden (specifically related to a composition by Daniel Bukivich: Symphony No. 1 - In Memoriam Dresden, which depicts the Allied bombing at the end of WWII and the firestorm that destroyed/leveled the city).  To see the reconstruction that has taken place in the past decade (since the reunification of Germany) was absolutely astounding.  

Evening:  Arrival and check-in at Hotel Kolumbus in Berlin.  Great dinner.  Looking forward to a final two days of sightseeing in Berlin - and our final concert in Wittenburg tomorrow evening.

Prague.... hmmm

Leaving our host families was depressing to say the least, and I can say that I was a little homesick for my German family. The host families were so sad to see us go that some of the kids held a sit-down protest. Yes! they actually sat in front of the buses to stop them from leaving. When we got to Prague, the feeling was worse because the Hotel Dum mattresses were not as comfortable as our host family. But that was only a minor thing. The city of Prague was beautiful. It was so cool to experience the city and its shops. A lot of the shops were touristy, but the street vendors were the best. I had my first experience in haggling prices. It was a successful trip. One of the most bizarre things were the Czech currency called Crowns. The exchange rate from yesterday was around 16 crows per US dollars. I felt rich! The food at the restaurant was pretty good especially the nonalcoholic eggnog filled ho-hos (yum!). Well we are in Berlin now, and everyone seems happy to be back in Germany. I got a message from my host family that says they miss me and to have fun on the rest of the trip! By the way, Germany won their fußball match yesterday 1-0!

Ciao for now

Ben Tullis

(photos added to post - B. Teague)

Caitlyn Reports on Prague!

Sorry I haven't posted sooner...the computer service in Prague was costly and not very good. So...here is everything that has happened since I last posted.

Friday: We spent the morning at the school in Bietigheim, where the jazz band held a concert for the students there. In the afternoon, my host family took us to an indoor water park in Bietigheim that had a whirlpool and a water slide. Then we had our concert in Freudental, which seemed to go very well.

Saturday: Yay for long bus rides! We made a stop in Pilzen, whose main feature is a giant brewery that makes one of the more famous beers in the world. We had lunch there, went on a tour, and I bought my dad a present for Father's day. Then we went to Prague, and went to a restaurant called Koliba. I had sauerkraut and LIKED IT! Our hotel was very nice, because we all had separate beds and an AWESOME view of the city from our window.

Sunday: Today was mainly a touring day...we started out by going to Vysoka, the town where composer Antonin Dvorak used to stay. It was SO PRETTY, especially the Rusalka (Mermaid) Lake! Afterwards, we made a stop in Prague's Old Town, where we had lunch. My group found a restaurant that sold chicken gyros for a pretty cheap price...which was helpful, because I then had to buy a disposable camera for 500 Czech crowns. In the afternoon, we went to Prague Castle, and go to visit Saint Vitus Cathedral. I really wish that I'd been able to take more pictures, because the cathedral was so beautiful! There were so many intricate stained glass windows and side rooms and...I wish that we'd had more time there, since the visiting time ended while we were still in there. Afterwards, we walked down a very large hill and went down to the Jewish Quarter, where we saw a lot of old synagogues and a Jewish cemetery that was so small, the citizens used to bury their dead in layers of ground and build the head stones up from underneath! Then we had dinner at Kolliba again -- fairly uneventful, except that the restaurant accidentally served liquor in our desert. (I think the liquor was cooked, though, so there was no alcohol in it.)

Monday: We made a quick stop at a Mozart museum in the city. The exhibition hall was small, but it had beautiful vintage instruments and there was a nice garden in the back. We went to the English International School -- I think it was for British children -- and had a concert there. Afterwards, one of the administrators told us about how the school had been thinking about adding its own music program, and that our concert had showed them how important such a program would be. SWEET! We then drove back to the Old Town to do some souvenir shopping. I bought this tan pashminka (Indian-made cashmere scarf) from a shop, and some new earrings. We had Kolliba for dinner again, but took take-out instead. I think it was some kind of fried pork sandwich, but I didn't eat that much of it because my group had gone to a Subway earlier in the day.

Today: Sadly, the tour guide we've traveled with in Prague had to stay behind and work with another group...our new tour guide came with us to Terezin, a Czech town that was used as a concentration camp in World War II. The main attraction was a cemetery where the people who died at the concentration camp were buried...it was very reverent, and beautiful. We went to Dresden for lunch and a walking tour. The group I went with for lunch found a hot dog stand where the food was good and extremely cheap! After Dresden, it was a long drive here to our hotel in Berlin. We have bunk beds at this hotel, and eight people (in two bedrooms) have to share two bathrooms...okaaay. However, the buffet dinner they served us was superb!

I hope that's everything...it was a lengthy time away from the computer! I can't wait to start touring in Berlin tomorrow!

Sharing Music

This afternoon we had the wonderful opportunity to share our music with students of all ages at the English International School of Prague. Thank you to Mr. David Forrest (Music Director), Mr. Phillip Keech (Asst. Principal) and Mr. Adam Stewart (Auditorium Supervisor) for everything they did to facilitate our stay. From the moment we walked in the doors of this beautiful school we felt welcome! And a thank you as well to Principal Paul Brewster for lunch!

The youngest students of the school did not come to the concert (the teachers were afraid the music might be too loud for them). So we took the music to them! Thanks to the quick thinking of Mr. Williams, an "Instrument Petting Zoo" was quickly coordinated, and we had several students demonstrating instruments to the youngest of the school. I think our students got a BIG kick out of it, and the laughter and smiles of the students here in Prague was an indication that they really enjoyed it.

Ah, Kids...

Yesterday was Fathers Day. Maybe one of the hardest days of the trip for me, actually... We're having a great time, of course, but being away from my daughter for over a week is the longest I've ever been away from her. Not being able to video conference with her as I was in Bi-Bi made it frustrating, taking 10 minutes to figure out how to make my calling card work in the Old Town section of Prague just about put me over the edge... At least I could hear her voice for a minute or two! (Look at me taking technology for granted... not so many years ago a phone call wasn't even a sure thing!)

Today I'm blogging to you from the English International School of Prague. I peered into the gymnasium and saw a little blonde girl with pig-tails doing the shuttle run. That's probably exactly what my daughter will look like in just a few more years. Then, during lunch we noticed the art projects based on the book, The Rainbow Fish, one of the favorites in her library. Even though I can't be with Sydney, this trip keeps sending me reminders (like I need to be reminded)!

Lesson learned? Kids are kids. They have the same joy for life, same imagination, same energy, same love to share... all over the world. Parents are parents. I've seen parents here and in Germany dealing with the same joys and challenges we do at home (although some of their strollers are MUCH cooler than our...)

So... Parents of our band students - Your students DO miss you too. They talk about home and you in the middle of all the other "oos" and "ahs". (They won't admit it, but they do). I also imagine I'll feel just like you when I send my future student(s) off on a trip without me...

Ok, off to do our concert for the students. We're playing our "lighter" stuff... except for Godzilla... Hope that doesn't scare the little ones. It's a little tougher than The Rainbow Fish.

FOUR THOUSAND WORDS

Views of Prague from yesterday. Nuff said.

Glenn Williams

THE REAL INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE

The following post does not represent the thoughts or beliefs of every student, director or chaperone on the District 99 European Tour.

I am, and always have been, an omnivore. I don't just like any food, I like all food. Even as a musician, I wonder to what level does food connect us all. It is truly the real international language.

The above photograph shows what is available for a breakfast choice at our deluxe accomodations in Praga. I am truly in my happy place - little mini-hot dogs and various types of cheeses are legal food for breakfast. I love this place!!!!!!!

More later,

Glenn Williams

Welcome to Prague!

Thanks to Jackie H for letting me use her phone to connect to the internet!
We had our first day of touring Prague and it was quite the adventure. Both tour guides on our buses are very sweet, informative, and extremely chatty. The city itself is a study in contrasts. There is a lot of beautiful architecture and at the same time many of the same pretty buildings are covered in spraypaint and other forms of vandalism. We didn't have much time to shop, but the food was approved of by students and directors alike.
The tour today started at Antonin Dvorak's summer home/museum where we learned about his music and his life. We also got to see Prague Castle and the original Jewish Ghetto - the area of the city that all Jews living in Prague had to live inside under the Empress Maria Theresa. We finished with dinner at a Czech restaurant and had a bit of a dessert adventure.
The hotel is different than what we are used to in the US, but is overall a lot better than many people were expecting.
I would like to end with a shoutout to all fathers out there - especially those with children on the trip. Enjoy your day!

Picture of the Day

Kyle S. and a new friend near the Dvorak museum this morning.

"Photo Ops" Abound

Today was a wonderful day for photos, and I think our students and staff took full advantage. Mr. Wilson told me at dinner that he took over 600 today alone.

This us my first time in Prague, and I find it to be an absolutely fascinating mixture of culture. The beautiful architecture of the old city stands in stark contrast to more modern (and modest) buildings that remind us that it wasn't very long ago that this area was under
communist rule.

Cathedral of Prague Castle

Prague - Old City Center

We have just finished lunch in the historic city center, and are on
our way to the Prague Castle.

Happy Father's Day

This post goes out to all the "Dads" back home. Kristen and I did an iChat with our children from our Bietigheim host family's house on Friday night. Because they didn't know if we would have Net access in Prague, they shared a card with me 'virtually.' We send our warmest wishes for a Happy Father's Day to all of the fathers of students on tour with us!

We are in Prague

A quick update: we have arrived in Prague, and checked into our hotel.

Our day has been one of transitions as we said good-bye to our amazing host families. I so wish I had a computer Net connection tonight so I could post pictures from our Bietogheim send-off. It was amazing and emotional. More later ...

I'm posting from my phone tonight. I suspect student posts will fall off considerably this week as technology is not nearly as easy to find.

JOY IN FREUDENTAL

Guten morgen:

This post is directed to parents reading the blog. A random audience goer on Tuesday night. A bus driver. The mayor last night. Multiple parents involved in the homestays here in Bi-Bi. This is just a short list of the people who have shared with me that your students are nothing short of SUPERSTARS, both on and off the concert stage. Your children are being ambassadors to an amazing extent. Their wonderful actions are speaking so loudly, words are not needed.

This photo of Rania E. singing last night presents the emotion and feeling of the concert last night far better than these meager words. Enjoy.

Tschus,

Glenn Williams

Thank you to our Bietigheim hosts!

Dear wonderful host families:

I know I speak for our entire band when I say how much we appreciate all you have done for us over the past week. Staying with you in Bietigheim-Bissingen (and surrounding communities) has been a truly amazing experience. You have welcomed us into your beautiful homes with open arms. You have provided an appreciative and enthusiastic audience for our student musicians. Most importantly, you have reinforced for us all that - despite the distance between our countries - we are all very similar, and all seek a common peace in the world.

Today is filled with a certain sense of sadness, as we must say 'good-bye.' But I think that sadness is a sign that the exchange was very successful, and that all of our students have had a wonderful time here in Germany. We hope we have been good guests.

We truly value your friendship, and look forward to extending open arms to the student musicians of the Musikschule many times over in future years. We are honored and humbled by the opportunity to participate in this unique exchange.

Danke!

I left my heart in Heidleberg (or Sachseheim)

I cannot believe that I have to leave my host family tomorrow morning. They have become such an amazing part of my life and I feel incomplete without them. My sister, Mirja, is one of the nicest, funniest people I have ever met. My mother is so kind and caring and she always talks to me even when it is hard to speak in English. My father is always helpful and is very funny. When we went to Hieldleberg yesterday, my mother told me there is a song that says, ``I left my heart in Hieldleberg.´´ And now that I have been with my family for several days, I feel that I am leaving part of my heart in Sachseheim, where they live. I have made so many new friendships and strengthened others from last year. Tomorrow morning will be very sad for me. I have been on two other international trips with school, and I have noticed that on these trips I always remember things that are different between my life at home and my life abroad. But this week I really realized that we are not different at all. Sure, there are little differences between Mirja´s life in Germany and my life in the US, but at the core, we are the same. I am very comforted by this thought. Somehow even though we live on two different continents, we are the same.

On new and old friendships and leaving home

So when I first left home last Saturday, I was really unsure of the whole idea of staying a week in another persons house. It was strange to think that for a whole week, I would for all intents and purposes have a new family. I initially thought that it would be awkward and that I would miss my home and my family. And while I have missed my home and family, my (host) family here in Germany has been extraordinary. I have felt like I belong from the moment I first crossed the threshold into their house. From everything to laundry to planning events, they have been kind and helpful, and it has really helped me to see what life in Germany is like. Viktor (my host brother) has also introduced me to various German fußball (soccer for all the Americans) songs.

Throughout the the trip I have seen many old friendships that have become stronger, but the thing that is the coolest for me is the new friendships that have formed across North and South. I have met people with interests similar to mine, even within the flute section! I have also seen sections become closer and play better just because of the experience of being in Germany.

As a final thought, the first Jazz Concert today was amazing and the crowd was even more excited than at the Band Concert. Well for now I will have to go and prepare for tonights concert and pack for tomorrow. I am sad to be leaving my host family, and would like to spend more time here. Tomorrow we leave for the Czech Republic. Peace All.

A weeks reflections...

Everything I have to say about the places we've visited so far, just restates what others have been saying in their blogs. This place is amazing in everyway!

This trip is really something that I'm going to remember for the rest of my life.

I know I'm going to have plenty of stories by the time the trip is done. I already have several handfuls! Like hearing kids speak with a slight German accent or while sitting in the park playing the HaHa game and German civilians walking by giving us a few weird looks. Or someone talking to us in German and then we have to explain we don't understand or trying new food or just stories about the host family or things that teenagers do.

The places are so beautiful and even this little town is great. I love just going for walks around the house and seeing the houses and the gardens that every single one has. It's so different from back home but I'm loving every minute of it.

I'm also going to remember all the people I've met too. Not only my magnificent host family, who have taken care of me this past week and have been so kind to me and wonderful in everyway, but also the North kids. Coming into this, I thought we were going to be separate. The South kids and the North kids...but that's not true at all. We Are The District 99 Honors Band. We've taken care of each other during this trip and will continue to do so. I know everyone is thinking the same thing as I am when I say to all of you back home that you don't have to worry about your world traveler here in Germany because we've got each other's back! We're more than a band...we're a big, happy, hilarious band family!

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Guten tag:

Forgive my silent voice in the last few days - the pace has been wonderfully frenetic. I left my laptop at in Downers Grove for my kids to use while we are in Germay. There are times I don't miss it at all, and there are times I wish it was here. Alas, I forge ahead on a German keyboard!

The photo above is a panorama view from the top of the castle in Heidelberg. I hope it is worth 1,000 words for those of you experiencing our trip through the blog. Being here is still so surreal for me. Terri W. (my wife) and I keep thinking that eventually we will walk to the parking lot and return home or to our hotel. I have to remind myself this is not Walt Disney World, but a real town with real people.

To me, the people are the essence of this exchange. I watch our students learn that people are people no matter where they live. As people, we are designed to be in community with one another. This exchange allows that sense of community to thrive across cultures and across generations. It is remarkable to experience first hand.

The post-blog photo is Terri W. on the square in Stuggart - again, the photo tells far more on the spirit of the exchange and of the trip that I could ever hope to write - especially on this German keyboard!

Tschus,

Glenn Williams

On German Food

I should not speak for everyone, lest I spark an argumentative flame between me and my peers; I will, however, as there is little argument about the changes we've experienced with our pallette and our elasticity of our stomachs. German food is different from American food.



1. Bread and butter is Germany's bread and butter. If you walk down the Habtstraße, and order from one of many restaurants, you may not be hit by this culinary shift, for it's felt more in the home. We experienced the onslaught of bread while eating our packed lunches, which were made by our Gästefamilia. An appropriate example is that of Sara F.'s lunches. She is packed four sandwiches with varying meats and spreads (I've been given a chocolate sandwich on occasion), fruit, chocolate and other snackable items. Her situation may not be shared by all her peers, but what seems to be a universal truth is;



2. Toast. Breakfast is toast. Self-explanitory. Breakfast includes but is not limited to toast. Cereal? Maybe. Apricot-rhubarb jam? Perhaps. Toast? Absolutely.



3. Very little sugar. Most of the sugar you would expect in foods that would contain said ingredient are found in their Cokacola and Orange Fanta, which they go bonkers for, by the way. They even mix the two and sell it as 'Mezzo Mix.' Regardless, sugar is used more as a garnish, much in the same way salt is; it isn't used much. This causes an unwanted, but necessary revelatory shock of flavor. When you bite into strawberry cake, you don't taste the sugar as you would in the States, but rather you taste the strawberries. It's refreshing.



4. Tipping is confusing. Tip too little; you're inconsiderate. Tip too much; you're insulting. My German teacher told me to round up to the nearest Euro. Even with these bits of wisedom I find tipping an arduous and confusing ordeal.



5. Germans love luke-warm water. They do not need their wasser to be ice cold. Most of it is in bottles, which are kept around the house. The water comes in two varieties: stillenwasser und gasswasser. Normal water and bubbley water. Some people find the bubbles a sort of false alarm for soda, and don't like being surprised that they're drinking water with every sip. It's not for everyone.

That is all.

Standing Ovation - First Jazz Concert

Our District 99 Jazz Ensemble played to a very warm reception at the High School in Bietigheim this morning. The 65 minute set included an encore and was greeted with much applause and a standing ovation. Kudos to our jazz ensemble students for a great performance. A few final hours this afternoon to visit with our families (and pack) before our final regional concert this evening. We say good-bye to Bietigheim tomorrow morning.

Speaking of our departure from Bietigheim, I am anticipating that we might have less frequent posts during "week two" of the tour. I think we will have much less access to technology.

Jazz Concert Video

An excerpt from "Second Line."

6/12/08 - Pretty Castles and TOO MUCH RAIN

Hallo...I have the time to post tonight! Yay!

Today was our last sightseeing day in the Bietigheim-Bissingen area. (And I´m spelling it right this time! YAY!) We went to the town of Heidelberg, which is about an hour and a half drive from B-B. Once we were dropped off, we started with a very extensive walking tour around the town. Our tour guide, Eva, was very nice, and her English was very good. She told us a lot of interesting things about the town´s history.

Heidelberg was besieged by several wars in the 1600´s between Protestants and Catholics. A group of Catholic princes tried to convert the mostly Protestant village, but weren´t successful. The citizens built a fountain with a statue of Hercules on it as a symbol of their resilience (they had already survived two wars in fifty years!) and their willingness to take down authority if necessary. Needless to say, the princes moved away after a while.

In World War II, Heidelberg was, by chance, one of very few cities which were not bombed by American forces. The area around the town was so overcast that the planes couldn´t find the city! However, the city was damaged when the German forces blew up the bridges to prevent American entry -- the glass windows on one side of the town cathedral were shattered.

The tour also took us up to the castle...Schlosshof, I think, was the name. The walk up the hill to the castle was not as long as the walk to Neuschwanstein, but the hill was so steep that it didn´t matter! We were glad to get to the top and see how the different princes that lived in Heidelberg affected the castle´s construction. We also got a chance to see a VERY BIG wine keg. It could supposedly hold about 58 thousand gallons of wine, but the pressure on the barrel was so great that they could only fill it three times before it started leaking!

We had an hour to wander around in groups afterward. I managed to get a gift for my dad for Father´s Day -- hi Dad! The shop where I bought my dad´s gift also had a dispenser with Pokemon toys in it, so I used the extra euro of change to get one. (I was originally going to get a wooden rapier from another shop, so I think the Pokemon was a slightly better choice.)

The soccer game this past evening was...interesting. I got very involved in the game, moreso than I expected. However, Germany lost to Croatia. We had a party afterwards, but had to move it into a banquet hall-type building. It was for a good reason...it was raining REALLY hard!

That´s all I can really say...oh, wait! Go watch the video at the end of Mr. Miller´s blog post. I was sitting a few seats from the people who were performing in that video...it was HILARIOUS. Mr. Williams had to come back and keep the kids from getting too rowdy!

Anyway...tomorrow we attend school with the German kids and have our final concert in Bietigheim! (Actually, the final concert is being held in Freudental, where I´m staying -- lucky!) Wish us luck at concert number 2!

Many Thoughts From the Past Few Days...

Hello friends! Sorry for the not-so-creative title. We've been very busy, and thus I've been unable to post for awhile. This also has created a jumble of thoughts to write about...

First - Students continue to be great in all aspects of the tour. I've really enjoyed continuing to work with the North High students of course, and have been really really excited to get to know my new South High students for this tour! As I wrote that last sentence I realized something else - I very rarely think of them as North or South students... they have bonded to become one very talented, very funny (see end of post), very wonderful group of students. It's like they've been together for years!!

Second - Our concert the other night - Because of the technical demands of Godzilla, and the needs of setting up an 80+ piece concert band on a stage, I had the opportunity to work with Peter, the Auditorium Master of the concert hall. I serve as the Auditorium Manager at North High, a position that I enjoy very much (although I really want to go for a title change now!). I like having the opportunity to create a great performance space for the many school, community and professional groups that use the Auditorium at North. I also have been known to be a little sensitive when a group requests something out of the ordinary (like a projector for a Godzilla presentation). Add to that the stress of such a large group getting set up on stage, rolling in cases and equipment, and, oh yeah, we would REALLY like to have the grand piano please and not the small digital piano you set up already... well, you get the idea.

But here's the great thing... While Peter was initially a bit nervous and short about the whole thing, all it took was taking the opportunity to reach out to him a bit. Taking an interest in what he does, showing appreciation for what he was doing for us, being careful to follow his instructions. He soon started going out of his way to make sure EVERYTHING was perfect. And Peter - It was! It was a pleasure working with him - an Aud. Master/Manager bonding moment. And like so many other moments on the trip, it showed that while we have many differences between Germany and US, we have MANY MANY more similarities!

(additional note on the above) Aud. Crew Tech. Friends - Peter was very very proud of his new light board. the ETC Ion console. It just came out last year from the same people who brought us the Congo Jr. It looks very similiar but uses a different philosophy of lighting design. Both boards are really really great. This one just works differently than ours (think Mac vs. Windows). Peter has now had the board for 26 days. He's been counting! :)

Third - Our students (and staff) were very moved by the resounding applause and appreciation shown at our concert. My hope is that our students permanently record that moment in their brains and remember it as they continue their lives as consumers of music. I hope they go home and go out to live music concerts of all kinds and show that same kind of appreciation for music (and for all art, for that matter). That is definitely something we can learn from our German friends!

Fourth - The blending and appreciation of old and new. Throughout our tour we have had the pleasure to see very very old archtecture and artwork (the castles, the old town section of Bietigheim-Bissingen) as well as very new (the Mercedes-Benz Museum) and a great combination of the two. The picture below is of the horse sculpture found just down the street from the Musikschule in B-B (the one that is in a 700 year old(ish) castle!)

Finally - Oh yeah, the humor... The video at the bottom of this post is courtesy of several students who put on a multi-act performance for us in the second bus, doing all sort of fun choreography, syncronized dances, "whack-a-mole" impressions, and so on... This is an oldie but a goodie... Mr. Turkey!

I Am Okay

This is supplementary post, to verify that I am in fact alive and in the vacinity of a working computer. Another post will follow as soon as I adapt to the GÄrmanz kezbÖyrd.

Benz

The Mercedes-Benz Museum is an incredible piece of architecture, and a stunning recounting of 20th Century history. I think our students really enjoyed having the chance to tour the museum. Thank you to Mr. Schiffer for providing this wonderful opportunity today!

Report on Tuesday (6/10) and Wednesday (6/11)

Once again, outside circumstances have kept me from posting last night -- in this case, it was simply too late to say anything coherently! However, yesterday was our sightseeing day in Bietingheim-Bissingen. We took a walking tour down the main street; we got to see several interesting statues, the entrance to a Japanese garden, and a monument for all the particularly high floods they´ve had in this town! (The town has two rivers running through it, with another one a few kilometers away. If it rains too much, the city floods very easily.) We got to meet with the mayor of the town -- he spoke English very well -- and the town gave us hats as souvenirs. (Iäve been wearing mine sightseeing -- but more on THAT later.) After lunch -- and lots of ice cream -- we rehearsed and performed our concert at the Kronenzentrum. My host family, whom I had a second dinner with after the concert, said they liked Godzilla Eats Las Vegas the most.

Earlier today, we went to Stuttgart - the equivalent of Chicago in this area. We went to the Mercedes Beny museum, where they had several different historical cars on exhibit. I took pictures, but I´m afraid they won´t come out right. We had about an hour left after touring the exhibits, so I joined Jennifer D., Suzanne S., and several of their friends in playing Mow (a card game) and going to the gift shop. The whole group walked past the soccer stadium and bought things at the gift shop there.

The buses picked us up from the stadium and took us downtown, where we spent the rest of the afternoon. I stuck with the Mow group...we found this pretty large mall that we hung out in for an hour and a half. We had ice cream again...I am such a sucker. Then we went walking down the street and found a relatively inexpensive jewelry store. Then we went back, the buses picked us up...and we went to the soccer game! Iäm sure youäll have heard about it from the other students. I actually played at the start of the second half, but I haven´t played in years and I couldn´t get to the ball in time. We had curry for dinner tonight -- another first for me! -- and...now we´re going to bed! Tomorrow is our last day of sightseeing, in the town of Heidelberg. I´m looking forward to it!

June 11 Bietigheim-Bissingen Newspaper

Here, members of the Band are pictured with the Mayor of Bietigheim-Bissingen (center).

Click on the picture above to see a larger image.

Soccer, Stuttgart, Concerts and more

Picture 1 (Top): the pope mobile
Picture 2 (Bottom): Kate B. and Andrew K. in the Race simulator

Hello all,





So yesterday was our first concert and it was absolutely amazing! We played our set and the crowd loved it. They clapped so much that we just had to play an encore. The audience really like Godzilla Eats Las Vegas and The White Rose March. Throughout the March, people clapped and the lightng technician even made the lights dance and change color! There was even reports of some people jumping up and down! Today, we traveled to Stuttgart to visit the Mercedes-Benz mueum which was alot of fun. I especially liked getting to see the pope-mobile (yes it is actually called the pope-mobile) and going into the race simulation. It was so much fun. It had actuall footage from races that a Mercedes won, and it moved the capsule and the steering wheel to match the footage. Oh, it was so much fun! Unhappily though, we lost our second soccer match against the Germans. But I guess it is more about the experience instead of the outcome. It was still a great experience to represent our country in an international soccer match. And even though we were two seperate teams and countries, the soccer game and the exchange has brought us closer together than most global citizens. Tonight we are going to go out and have some more fun. I will have to tell you more later!