Formal Greetings & Presentations

This morning, following our city-tour of Bietigheim-Bissingen, our entourage was formally welcomed by Jürgen Kessing, the Oberbürgermeister (Mayor) of the city. Mr. Kessing addressed all of our students, reinforcing the importance of our exchange as a means by which peoples of the world can come together to discover our commonalities. His message was inspiring. Following his remarks, he presented all of us with gifts (I trust you'll probably hear more about this from students in their posts). I, along with Mr. Williams, read aloud a proclamation from Downers Grove Mayor Ronald Sandack, thanking the city of Bietigheim-Bissingen for their hospitality toward our students, and formal inviting the string orchestra and band to return to Downers Grove in 2010 and 2011. A Downers Grove flag was also presented to the city.

After the formal presentations our students were treated to lunch by the Musikschule. The picture above was taken from the third floor of the castle which houses the Musikschule, looking down onto the courtyard where lunch was served.

Owls and Castles and Sheep, Oh My!

It's only our second full day here in Germany, and I already feel like I don't have enough room to share everything that's happened so far! I arrived at my host family (the Schillings) house yesterday. They have been so wonderful. Michi is my age, Elena is a little younger and also in the orchestra, and David lives at home but is studying at University. Mr. and Mrs. Schilling are so nice; Mr. Schilling is a beekeeper and sells honey. They also have a French exchange student living with them, so there are three languages being spoken in the house right now!
Yesterday, my family took me to an old castle where we saw trained hawks, owls, and eagles perform. It was amazing! I couldn't understand the speaker, and neither could the French exchange student, so Mrs. Schilling had to translate everything he said into French and English! Later on, Michi and David took me to the BallHaus to watch the soccer finals. I was so tired so it was hard to stay awake, but after Germany won, it seemed like everyone was out driving with their horns blasting! It didn't quiet down for hours!

We're Going To Have a Good Time

As the Beatles wrote:

"They say it's your birthday... you're going to have a good time!"

And I did! It was wonderful to celebrate my birthday with a couple other birthday students, and an anniversary couple in beautiful Germany. Our trip today was fantatic. A great adventure to a very pictureque destination. My very part, however, continues to be the connections that we make with the wonderful families here. Arriving at the Gehlen family's house was truly like coming home. The entire plane ride over I was thinking, "when I get home I'm going to..." Bernd, Elke (his wife), Paul and Christina (their children) were definitely a sight for sore eyes. It has been great to catch up with them and of course to watch at least the first half of what was ultimately a German victory in their first EuroCup match (I fell asleep for the second half)!

So, in short... students are doing great, chaperones are doing great, host families and wonderful!

Looking forward to sharing our music in our first concert of the tour tomorrow. Our students are really going to "wow" the audience I'm sure. I hope they understand the Godzilla thing... :)

Doing Double Duty - Sunday (6/8) and Monday (6/9)

I apologize for not posting before today...it has been a very busy few days leading up to the trip. I actually tried to post last night, but I couldnät get into the blog..so tonight, I will have to post on the past two days we have been in Germany.

We arrived in Berlin at around 7:30 in the morning, due to a rain delay we had experienced before taking off in Chicago. We actually got through baggage claim in very little time, and rode coach buses down to Bietingheim-Bissingen. (I think I am spelling the name of the town correctly...) We arrived around noon, and met up with our host families. The host family I am staying with is actually quite large. There is Mr. and Mrs. Lowen, the parents, as well as one daughter (age 10), and three borhters, who are 16, 18, and 20 respectively. Their house is in the village of Freudental, and is very nice. Sarah F. and I are sharing a bedroom together.

After we arrived at the Lowen house, the youngest son, Cornelius, took us on a tour of the village with his younger sister. He showed us a street that used to house their Jewish popoulation, as well as the synagogue. He also showed us the village´s church, which is over 800 years old. After the tour of the town, the whole family sat down to lunch together. We had pork, salad, noodles, and sliced tomatoes with mozarella cheese. It all tasted very good!

After lunch, we went down to the town of Ludwigsburg. The town is best known for a very large castle that has a lot of gardens. I was particularly interested in their rose garden. The roses there all had different names, like Shneewittchen (Snow White) and Feuerwerk (Fireworks). I took so many pictures of the roses! Whil we were there, it started raining very hard...we had to huddle under a tree and try to stay dry until the rain let up. Once it did, we left the castle and went to the town square, where Mrs. Lowen bought us Italian ice cream. We then went home, had sausages and cheese for dinner, and went to bed.

Today, the entire band went, as a group, to Neuschwanstein castle. When we first arrived, I mistook another castle in the village for Neuschwanstein...and did not realize that the real castle was half an hour´s walk away! We took a guided tour in English at the castle. We were not allowed to take pictures, though I wish we had been able to. The whole castle was beautiful! My favorite rooms were the throne room, which featured a very detailed depiction of Jesus Christ and various saints, and the dining room, which had a swan theme to it. i decided to buy a stuffed swan in the gift shop as a memento of the trip. I went straight back to the buses after the castle, though some people stopped at a bridge that was relatively nearby. We ended up leaving late from the village because one of our students ended up in the wrong parking lot, but we arrived relatively on time and went home. Dinner tonight was spaghetti with meat sauce. (My mother might be pleased to know that I ate the spaghetti with the sauce today!) Now we are preparing for bed. Tomorrow´s our first concert -- I hope we do well!

"Toto, We're Not In Kansas Anymore"

BUS UPGRADE: Our students, used to "Yellow Bus" accommodations most of the time, are enjoying the Spillmann 'Travel Lounge' coaches. Any bus made by Mercedes Benz is a big step up!


















Others have already posted about our wonderful trip to Neuschwanstein today. I will add (as a point of explanation for those back home following the official itinerary) that a 14 kilometer traffic jam (due to a very early morning accident delayed us considerably as we headed south, and prevented us from visiting the cathedral in Ulm. But our students truly enjoyed Neuschwanstein, and it was a spectacular day. Above, Dave S. poses with a sign warning of a steep path for the trek down to the buses from the castle. (Dave was obviously not phased.)















If you will indulge me for a personal moment of reflection, today Kristen and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. One of our childhood friends, who is following our trip from her home in Missouri, emailed me last night and insisted that I post a picture of Kristen at some point during the tour. So, given that it is a special day for us, this seems like a prime opportunity to be a little bit selfish. As we drove back to Bietigheim this evening I found myself remembering that my "first band trip" with Kristen was back in 1986, when our high school band traveled to Lawrence, Kansas to perform at a regional convention. (Let me tell you: Toto ... we're not in Kansas anymore!) I feel very blessed to be sharing yet another tour with her twenty-two years later. Kristen is a talented teacher in her own right, and I am very fortunate to have her guidance and support on a daily basis.

And speaking of June 9th being a special day: Happy Birthday to Katherine N., Jeanne K., and Mr. Miller!

We look forward to our first concert tomorrow ...

Second Trip to Neuschwanstein...

Hello, friends and family! Today was a great day. I know that I speak for myself and the whole group when I say that we all had a great time today touring the fairy tale castle of Neuschwanstein. For most on the tour it was their first time visiting this magical location, but it was my second (I took a trip with the DGS German Club in 2006). I think, however, that going for a second time was just as enjoyable as the first time. It was certainly helpful for the chaperones and other students to have someone who knew the area. The castle was very beautiful--I remembered ít well, and perhaps I was able to enjoy it further this time. I would have posted some pictures, but cameras are forbidden inside the castle.

Here at my 'German parent's' home, we are always eating! The garden is huge and always fresh. 100% organic and 200% delicious! I find that I am sleeping very well in a nice comfortable bed. I know that my German has improved even in just one day, and it will continue to do so. I am speaking German probably 90% of the time--sometimes even by accident to my fellow American students! My german teacher would be proud, I'm sure. But now, ''Ich bin sehr müde'' (I am very tired!). Tomorrow we are looking forward to our first concert, which will include the European Premiere of my original composition Hockets and Offbeats, which we played in May back home. Wish us luck; haben Sie eine Gute Nacht (have a good night)! Bis morgen (Till Tomorrow)...CP

Day 2 in Germany

Today we went to Neuschwanstein, which is in Schwangau. It was a lot of fun. We literally had to climb a miniature mountain to get to the top! We got to see a lot of really nice German scenery too. The view from the castle was really cool! On the way down a few of us stopped to get some ice cream that was cantaloupeflavored! It was very good. There were also a lot of stores that had lots of great items! I'm pretty excited to go take the tour of Bietigheim tomorrow!

IT"S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

Today, we drove several hours to southern Germany, in the Alps, to visit a famous castle and bridge.  This castle is the inspiration for the Cinderella Castle in both DisneyLand and DisneyWorld.  The sheer art and craftsmanship in this castle are breathtaking. We experienced traffic on the way to our destination (Yes, there is traffic in Germany.  Yes, it is very organized.)  The photograph above is a painted map of our sites today - we saw not only the castle, but a spectacular bridge spanning a stunning gorge. A 30 minute walk uphill brought to mind for everyone the importance of the Physical Education requirement in Illinois!  I bought a really cool and unique hat (I am certain you'll see photos of it in the near future.)  To me, this trip is a still a fairy tale.  The sights and people are truly amazing and inspiring.  Tomorrow is our first performance - I expect the sounds to become equally inspiring tomorrow.  

Said goodbye to a friend today - one of our home stay hosts lives and teaches photography in Leipzig during the week.  I am struck by the depth of the bond that can be created in less than 24 hours when people open their hearts and homes to a guest.  This is a major takeaway for me, and, something I am already longing to reciprocate when our German friends return in 2010.

Tschus,

Glenn Williams

Wow...We're in Germany!!!

Sometimes...I still forget that I'm in another country! It still seems so unreal that I'm here, but I'm so excited! I know that I'm a day late to talk about the plane and such but yesterday was just so much fun, I didn't get time to go onto the computor. After finding our luggage, we headed out to Bietigheim. There I met my host family, whom had stayed with me before and was swallowed into big hugs from her and her mother. I feel so welcomed and happy to be here! I have to admit that I was very nervous to be staying with a family, and didn't know what to except at all. Later we headed to my 'new home' and met the other two sisters, father, and grandmother. While everyone knows a little bit of English, except the grandmother, they speak German for most of the time which has been tough since I don't speak a word of German. But everything has been very good. I'm looking forward to eating more of the amazing food and learning about this culture and town! IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! Even though camera has paid for itself, considering how much I use it, it certainly has on this trip. It has barely left my hand! The town's buildings, churches and land marks are so beautiful! Even though I was ready to fall asleep right as we arrived home, I could resist the urge to go for a walk into the city. While there Selina (my host) recieved an invite to go to the pool. And this pool tramples over Cypher's Cove! It was huge with many pools and nice water! After that, we traveled with the group we collected to the Indoor Beach and played Volleyball and Soccor (which the Germans, sadly, still beat us in). While some had fun playing, others seem to relax and try to catch up on needed sleep!
We traveled home to eat and later went to a nearby soccor viewing bar to watch the game! I'll never forget seeing so many people so excited (nor will the ringing in my ears from blow horns go away...)! It was so much fun! I even got to help the little sister with her English homework when we got home!
It's strange having to be confused about certain things. Speaking English, we always seem to get the easy trail by it being everywhere. But from experience, I know now that that is not the case here all the time. At the Indoor Beach, I (being completely German illiterate) walked straight into a Boy changing room! I'm probably still blushing from that! Luckly no one was there and it wasn't that kind of changing room (more like lockers for shoes) it's something people are giving me grief over! ^^ We've gotten many laughs over that...
Today we traveled to Neuschawanstein Castle! It was so gorgeous and I can understand why Disney's Cinderella Castle was modeled after it! Much to my displeasure, I wasn't able to take pictures of the inside to show you all, but just imagine your perfect golden castle and make it even more beautiful! There where paintings all over of Saints or scenes from plays and operas like Tristan and Isolde with lots of swanns (they were the kings favorite animal) and beautiful handcrafted chairs, beds, and even ceilings and floors! And the view out of every window, was enough to take the breath away from anyone! The views were so magical and gorgeous!
Even the town below the castle was amazing! Lots of shops with souveniors and nice people, understanding of our non German speaking disability and lots of kids treated themselves to the infamous German chocolate and drinks!
The band directors and staff have been so awesome on this trip. They've been fun and understanding and I'm so blessed to be here. The host families have been so kind to everyone and I'm so glad to get the chance to know them and other students from DGN that I didn't know before this. I've made many more friends and I can't wait to get the chance to know more of them as this trip progresses. And lastly, I'm never going to look at Carbonated water the same way again...(for those of you who don't...everything here seems to be carbonated, even juice and water!!!!)

Amazing First Day

Hello all,

So the first day was amazing. I won't say too much about the plane ride, except that it was nice to sit in the middle of a row with people I didn't know. It was nice to talk to someone that was not on our trip about our trip, and to ask them about their trip (the man on my right was going to India to visit his mom and the people on my left slept the whole way). Anyway, my host family did not all come to pick me up, they sent Viktor to get me because his mom was preparing breakfast and his dad had biked to a farm in the mountains to get asparagas for dinner that night (which consisted of potatoes, asparagas and a little cooked ham all covered in a creamy cheese sauce. It was amazing). Before dinner we went to an indoor beach and played an informal soccer match, U.S. vs. Germany (and JJ J.). The US clamied a victory with a score of 6 to 4. After a short game of Frisbee we were all pretty tired and went home to shower the sand, sweat, and adrenaline from our bodies before dinner. After dinner, Viktor and I met a a few friends at a sports bar to watch the Germany vs. Poland European Cup game. It was really loud and you couldn't help but get swept up in the excitement! After a thrilling victory of 2-0 we drove around town honking the horn and flying the German flag. We were not alone, it seemed like most of Germary was out last night celebrating! I can't wait for the next match on Thursday!

Well talk to you all later!
Auf Wiedersehen

When you wish upon a star...

What a fun day! Ifound myself spending time in one of the great creations for Walt Disneys Masterpiece, Cinderella. The castle was at the top of a very large hill in which we had to climb, but it was worth it. As I walked through the castle itself so many thoughts of the movie ran through my head, especialy with the ballroom scene, the celling was amazing. It was so much fun getting to see the castle as well as the town that lay at the bottom of the valey. There were many trinkets and wonderfull things to buy within their shops. There was just one thing that I bought there however...Ice Cream! Let me tell you from experience that German ice cream is just down right amazing! It is so thick and creamy,the texte just was perfect almost like a frozen smoothy. I was also pleased about the price, some places it was just 1 euro, which for two really large scoops of fantasic ice cream was trully a treat!

I really want to write so much about our trip but it seems that I am being called away for dinner. So I must say ta ta for now.

~Jennifer

*P.s. Germany won the first soccer game....Yay! (I saw it on tv...mind you it was in german but that just made the game more invigorating!)

Our First Day!

Today was such a busy day! After we exited the plane, we claimed our baggage, and found our tour bus, we were on our way in no time. Although the jet-lag has started to cath up with us, today's events have been very exciting. The two hour ride to Bietigheim-Bissengen was very picturesque, and though it was slightly reminiscent of home, there were still many differences, and it was such a senic ride. After meeting with my host family, the day seemed to go by pretty fast. We ate lunch, a few of us went to a Beach Volleyball gymnasium, and then a group of us were invited to a barbeque, which was in preparation for the Germany-Poland World Cup game. It was a pretty fun day! I can't wait until we start sight-seeing in the more historical locales!

Germany Adventure Day 1

Guten Tag! Or maybe it is really more appropriate to say Guten Nacht ~ the time change has left most of us a little out of sorts. Other than that, the first day here has been amazing. All of the families were there to welcome us straight off the buses, so no one felt left out. They seemed so genuinely excited that it helped a lot of us feel more comfortable and less nervous about meeting our new family. Bietinghiem is beautiful - and so historic! The unique architecture and quaint little shops have caused many group members to already start filling up space on their camera's memory cards. My host family has been nothing but kind and welcoming, and have already started trying to fatten me up by feeding me lots of kuchen (cakes). So far, the trip has been an incredible experience - and we've only been here for 24 hours! I can't wait to see what types of adventure, learning, and opportunities for musical and cultural growth await us in the next two weeks! I especially look forward to seeing Neuschwanstein Castle and the Ulm Cathedral tomorrow - the sightseeing, architecure, and history promise an interesting trip. And really, what girl hasn't dreamed about living in the Magic Kingdom's castle - or any castle for that matter! Bye for now...

Arrival in Bietigheim-Bissingen

Today's arrival in Bietigheim marked the beginning of the fourth tour in which I have participated. As Mr. Miller wrote prior to departure, one of the things I enjoy the most about this exchange is having the chance to observe others who are experiencing the warmth of this country and the people for the first time.















Host families waiting for our students as we arrive in Bietigheim.















Mr. Glenn Williams (new to our District 99 Music Faculty since the last exchange), is greeted and welcomed by Musikschule Director Mr. Reimund Schiffer. Mr. Williams has traveled internationally prior to this trip, but it is his first day in Germany.
















Emma S. and Caroline H. meet their host family, who hold signs with their names and a welcome message.

We are here!

Hello, friends and family. It is so very nice to be back in good old Deutschland. My family that is hosting me recognized me as soon as we got off the bus, Dieter speaks good english, while Maria speaks only German, so I really have the means to practice a lot. For the most part we are only speaking German all the time! Our house is beautiful, with a large garden with fruit, nuts, veggies, and other flowers. It is so nice! I am really enjoying myself. Now I must go join my hosts as we watch Austria play Croatia in Fußball (soccer). Until later...Bis später...CP

Guten Tag!

Hello and welcome to Germany! It was a long flight, but our group finally made it to Bietigheim. After a 2-hour bus ride from the airport, we reached the school of the German hosts. We were greeted by an enormous crowd of eager German families, ready to take their American students home. My German, Mirja, found me right away. We piled my suitcase in the Audi and went back to her house.
I have stayed with host families in other countries before, but I have never stayed with a family so open and kind as Mirja´s family. Her mother told me right away to make myself at home. It was very sweet of them. I feel very blessed to be in such a loving home. Mirja is so lively and personable. She always makes me smile. Her father is also very nice and he likes to talk about soccer. I have noticed many German flags on cars and buildings because this week is full of European soccer games. Everyone comes out to watch the game and cheer on their country. Today we had free time with our host families, so I went with Mirja, and her friend, Natalie, and her two American students, Cassie and Marissa to a castle called Ludwigsburg. We got a great tour from an English speaker. It was very interesting. Today has been a very good day, and I´m excited to see what tomorrow will bring. Tschus!

THANKS TO EXCHANGE FOUNDER BOB JACOBS!!!!

Guten tag:

It is still so surreal to me that I'm in Germany - absolutely amazing! Already this trip has verified two of my foundational beliefs - music is trans-generational and trans-cultural. The gentlemen in the photo, Bob Jacobs, came to wish us "bon voyage" yesterday (at least I think it was yesterday.) Mr. Jacobs founded this exchange, and shared his passion and joy with the students about this venture as we boarded our comfy yellow limousines outside of DGN. Bob Jacobs confirmed for me that music transcends generations. My current interactions with our host and other German music teachers verifies my belief that music transcends cultures. Our passion for and belief in what music does for the human condition is already a unifying elements in our interactions. What a blessing.

Parents, your children were amazing during the travel process - they continue to make us all proud!

Tschus,

Glenn Williams

We're Off!

Last Minute Thoughts (from this side of the ocean, anyway...)

So I keep hearing Mr. Teague's voice in my head. That happens a lot, actually, but this time it's saying... "Now go to bed early. Get plenty of rest, tomorrow's going to be a long day. And you need to at least act wide awake when you get to your host family's house on Sunday morning.

Well, my suitcase, carry-on bag, 3/4ths of my closet and a big pile of... technology are all over the family room. It's not Saturday yet. Not for... five minutes or so...

So rather than pack and go to bed, I'd like to share a few thoughts that are swimming through my head currently...

1) Ben's previous entry brought to mind something I think I said during rehearsals. One of the things I'm looking forward to the most is experiencing this trip through the eyes of our students (and some of our staff members!). I've been blessed to make this voyage to Germany three times now. I know how absolutely amazing the people are, how beautiful the cities are, how exciting it is to perform for those audiences. I'm much more excited about seeing how our students react to all of that for the first time. It's like Christmas morning as a parent, but different!

2) The band has really come together this week. The first sounds we made as the Honor's band... hmm... It was obvious that most minds were on the fact that school just ended. By the end of that rehearsal, however, things were already starting to come together. By the end of today's run-thru? Spectacular! Let's take this thing on the road!

3) Technology. One of the reasons I'm late in getting my stuff together is the detour I made to my parents' house tonight to teach them how to use a webcam and Skype so my wife and I can video conference with them and our two year old daughter while we're in Germany. And despite the fact that it took a little longer than I expected to my them feel comfortable with it, the truth is it's SO EASY to keep in touch and to share experiences we're going to have on this trip. A big thumbs up and HUGE kudos to Mr. Teague for setting up a student blogging team. We did something similar on our last trip to Europe in 2005 but it included lots of late nights of wandering around the Austrian Alps looking for unsecured wireless access. Students had to email reflections or pictures to Mr. Teague who then had to edit a website. Now, all the staff and our student bloggers can be posting non-stop from their cellphones, host family computers, Internet cafes, and who knows what else. My only suggestion... Take the time to just enjoy the trip. Look at the beautiful countryside without a camera view finder or cellphone held up against your face. Our friends and family want to know what we're doing, but they also want us to expereince this great trip!

Ok, enough for now... now it IS Saturday. Let me end with this... I'm really proud of the work we've done this week to come together as the District 99 Honors Band. I'm proud to be part of the team and honored to be sharing all of this music with these incredible young people!

Finally!

Tonight is the big night! As I am making sure my bags are packed, reading my exciting international travel literature, and getting ready for bed, I realize that finally it is time to go! Last year, it seemed like the trip would never come, but all of the pieces of our travel puzzle have finally come together. Tomorrow will be a day filled with excitement as members of our group will start to make life-long memories that involve friends and "first-times". The best times are yet to come!