District 99 Orchestra Germany - Spain Tour

O Jet Lag...

2010-06-27T04:57:00.000-07:00

Well it's about 7 am right now back in the states, however I've already been up for an hour or so. I was quite dismayed when I popped out of bed at 6, hungry for lunch, only to realize what time it really was. What made it better was I woke up so confused as to where I was, and I wondered why the hostel beds had all of a sudden become so comfortable.

So, I figur

ed since I've got some

time before the rest of the sensible world wakes up, I'd get in a

final blog.

Our last day has been pretty well covered I think. We saw three Gaudi

sites, and had some more free time to ourselves. The Gaudi tour convered La Pedrera, Park Guell, and La Sangrada Familia. My favorite part of the day was La Sangrada Familia. The cathedral is absolutely gorgeous! Construction started in 1882, and won't be complete for at least another 20 years! I hope someday to be able to go back and see it after completion; I can't imagine it being any greater than it is now. The intricacy of the design and decoration is amazing.

Of course La Pedrera and Park Guell were amazing as well. Park Guell was a great exhibit some of Gaudi's best and most famous tile work. We also determined that The Cheetah Girls 2 was filmed here. :) La Pedrera, or La Casa Mila, was a great tribute to Gaudi's mind and the surreal aspect of his art. Dali himself was photographed on the terrace of the house.

Finally, I'd just like to send a shout out to all of the wonderful people that made this trip what it was. All of our fabulous conductors and fearless chaperones, as well as our host families and tour guides, and of course, good old Joseph. It was a fabulous two weeks, and I'm extremely grateful for all the work you guys put in to make it so, It was a great way to end my senior year, and I'll remember it forever!

For the last time,

Thanks,

Dana

Sweet home, Chicago!

2010-06-26T16:03:00.001-07:00

Plane just touched down at 6:00pm. It will take a little while to get bags and go through customs, but we're almost home!

Up and at 'em

2010-06-25T22:12:00.001-07:00

Students are up, almost all packed, and just about ready to head to the airport!

Thanks, Josep!

2010-06-25T14:26:00.000-07:00

For the duration of the Spain part of the tour, we have had a wonderful and very knowledgeable guide with us named Josep. Thanks to Jo for teaching us so much about your beautiful country and city!

Our Last Day in Spain!

2010-06-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

Our last day in Spain was spent touring the rest of Mont Juic, the parts we were not able to see on our first day of sight-seeing due to the Harley Days Festival. After Mont Juic, we headed to experience three works of Antoni Gaudi, a celebrated Catalonian architect. (Barcelona is the only city with Gaudi's works, which makes this city quite a special place to visit.)

The first was Casa Mila, more commonly referred to as La Pedrera, which translated means "the quarry." The building is named this because it looks very much like a stone quarry. Initially built to be apartments, the building was hard to occupy with tenants because most people found it very difficult to live in due to its absence of right angles and oddly-shaped rooms. The building is now owned by the Caixa Catalunya bank, but three apartments continue to be inhabited. Inside, we were able to see what a bourgeois apartment building looked like when the building was used exclusively as apartment buildings. We were also able to go up onto the beautiful terrace.

After La Pedrera, we headed to Park Guell, where we enjoyed a sack lunch and walked around the park marveling at Gaudi's work of creative genius. Park Guell is where some of Gaudi's most famous tile work can be seen, including the giant iguana.

Our final stop was La Sagrada Familia, a church built, in part, by Antoni Gaudi. Construction of the church was started in March 1882, and it is not finished yet! If you ever have the privilege of visiting this work of art, you will understand why its completion is taking so long. The building is the most extravagant building I have ever seen, and it isn't even completed.

I know my camera takes pictures, but it doesn't upload them right now.

2010-06-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

Hello!

We visited the Gaudi designed apartment today, La Perdera, and La Sagrada Familia , the Gaudi Cathedral that still isn't finished. It was very very cool! 'm am sooo grateful to have been able to take this trip because I know I won't ever get a chance to visit such a beautiful country for a looong while. As I write this, Spain is winning 3 -1 against China and I'm very excited about that. I am soo looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and seeing my family. I miss them both dearly (Haha!). I am a little worried about my bass getting from barcelona to munich and munich to chicago, but I am sure all will go well. I apologize for the length of this. I would have more if my camera was working. We also finished seeing Montjuic today. Thank you Josep Maria very much for taking us around such beautiful place and showing us things I couldn't ever imagine seeing. The Sagrada Familia is definitely something I hope to see once it's finally finished! Parents, we are coming home tomorrow! I think it is a bittersweet moment because we all love it here, but we miss home soo much. I am, however, very excited for the German students to come and stay with us in August. Good luck to them in their travels as well.

See you all very soon!
As my last blog from Europe,
So long Barcelona and goodnight!
Marisa Bellie

Final Day!

2010-06-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, today is our final day in Europe and there has been ice cream eating almost everyday since arriving to Spain. More importantly, there are two flights tomorrow, and most people want to get back on the time schedule back home. I'm especially freaking out because Sunday morning I have to get up relatively early to drive to to Champaign and attend their Saxophone camp for the week.
Also, I'm sorry that I didn't get many pictures up (especially since arriving in Spain) and that so much has happened this week that I don't think I can blog about much of it.
One thing that was awesome about this week was the day we went to the Flamenco show, because they celebrate the Solstice here in Barcelona, and made awesome bread with sugar and fruit on it just for the occasion. But anyways, we ran accross the street after the show was over, and there was immediately fireworks due to the holiday -- and they continued to go off the rest of the night. That's something I find very odd about Barcelona... I don't know if it's a city thing, if that's just the way things work around here, but it will be midnight and I'll still hear tons of people talking in the alleys and even children crying and such. What's especially annoying about the streets in Barcelona however, are the vendors. They put these weird metal discs in their mouths, and make different sounds -- a bird tweeting, a cat screeching, and squeeky toy, etc. It's just weird walking the streets and having to deal with that. On the plus side, I haven't gotten anything stolen! YAY!
Today, we went to this abosolutely incredible cathedral. Words can't describe it. I think the majority of my photos actually came from that one building this trip. It's work from the arcitect, Gaudí, and the construction of the cathedral began in 1880. But it won't be finished until I'm about 40. It blows my mind! The craftmanship is unlike anything I've ever seen. We also traveled to another beautiful area today, but it's name escapes me. I got to bargain though!
The other day, I felt really bad after we got to go to the market. There were tons of booths to buy food at (this was really more like a grocery store if anything) and I had to buy coconut. It wasn't as good as I expected, so I shared with my friends, and then when I went to throw it out, I saw a man rooting through the trash. He didn't like anything like a homeless man to me though, he was wearing some decent looking clothes, and he looked far from starving. But I still threw it out nonetheless, and then after I walked back to where my friends were, I saw I picked up the box and proceeded to eat it. I felt really bad. I also feel bad about all the things I've bought on this trip, although I don't think it was quite as bad as some amounts I've seen kids raking in this trip.
Well, I have to go finish packing now, but it's been a pleasure blogging on this trip! Everyone is DEFINITELY ready to come home!

See everyone soon,
Callie Sorce

Long Time No Post! Lots to Cover!

2010-06-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hello there! My apologies for my lack of communication. We have been SO busy with SO MANY exciting things here in Barcelona, I've been negligent in my blogging responsibilities. I've noticed that the students and Ms. Mullen have been doing a great job, so I've been sitting back and enjoying things a bit. But now, I'll try to catch up!

First, more recordings of the Jazz Band and Orchestra are now online at the same address from before:

http://www.box.net/shared/jzxuujpndu

I'm trying to share several of my pics of the amazing things we've seen this week, but it isn't working for me right now for some reason. That does allow me, however, to get to the most important part of what I want to share with you all back home...

Families - Your students have done some AMAZING things this week. They have performed well, traveled well, sight-seen well, and have been an absolute joy to work with. They have learned a lot on this trip, whether they realize it or not. They have demonstrated a lot of maturity in terms of how to handle stressful situations, performance jitters, and the experience of being in a foreign place in new circumstances. To say that our chaperone team is proud of them is an understatement.

I won't pretend to say they were smiling at every moment of the tour. There were certainly some tired eyes and weary feet as we did A LOT of walking on our tours this week. But even when they were at their most tired moments, they responded positively when asked to move closer to the guide, to walk a little faster, and to do all the little things that help make a tour go better.

So... thank you for sharing your students with us these past two weeks. I think you'll see they've grown up a bit in this short amount of time and I think you'll really enjoy getting to know more about their new perspective on the world.

I'll try to post my pics later. For now, I'm off to write a few more emails and to start packing before dinner.

See you in Chicago!

Only the Greatest Artist in the World...No Big Deal or Anything

2010-06-24T12:45:00.001-07:00

Today, as we have for the entire week, Frau, Emma, Alana, and I got up a little earlier and went for a run. This is one of my favorite parts of the day, because it provides an opportunity to explore the city a little on our own, and cover new ground. For the past couple of days we've been running along the boardwalk and the beach, however today we were thrown off course because of last nights festivities. One of the traditions of the celebrations is for everyone to crash on the beach for the night, so when we went for our run we discovered that the entire beach was closed off and guarded by the national guard and police, as they tried to clean up the mess and restore order. We met lots of interesting people today.

This morning the group started off our day with a bus ride to the Dali museum. I think I'm not alone in saying that the bus ride was welcomed with open arms after our day of walking yesterday. I thought the museum was absolutely AMAZING!! I'm a huge Dali fan, so I may be a little biased, but everyone else seemed to like it alot too. His work is so out of the ordinary, and no matter how long I look at a piece, I can't even begin to contemplate what he was thinking. The way that his mind works is absolutely astounding, and it's the different interpretations that can be inferred that make his work so timeless and well known. The museum had 22 exhibits, and you start from the top and work your way to the bottom. The museum comprised of a majority of his sketches, and a wide variety of sculptures. I'm not a huge fan of sculpture, but it was nice to have some variety thrown in, because Picasso was mainly paintings. The museum was very interactive, and gave you a good look in to the madness and brilliance that is Dali.

We left the museum at 1:30 and loaded the buses again, bound for Casta Brava beach for lunch. We enjoyed our sandwiches from Micky's. Cheese on bread, or tuna for the vegetarian folks. It's been absolutely gorgeous here, and any chance to sit in the sun or on the beach has been universally welcomed.

We got back to the hostel tonight and had about an hour or so to chill and relax. I spent a majority of the time on our balcony, enjoying the scenery and the people watching. The culture here is so interesting, and the city is constantly teeming with life. I feel like I could spend another year here and still have not seen even the beginnings of what the city has to offer.

We walked to Micky's for dinner and emerged once again stuffed to the brim. The four course meals that are so common here are probably one of the biggest things that we've had to adjust to. All in all though, the foods been good, and dinners as a group have never failed to be very entertaining.

It seems that the days have been creeping along without my knowledge once again. It seems like just yesterday I was saying good bye to my host family, and now I face saying goodbye to another wonderful experience. Tomorrow we look forward to a Gaudi tour, which should be especially interesting considering how close his style is to Dali's as far as the surrealistic aspect goes.

Thanks for keeping up the interest in our expedition! I think at this point the idea is bittersweet. Everyone is ready to see their families and their own beds and showers, but I don't think that ending the trip is near the top of anyone's list.

Happy reading!

Picasso, World-Renowned Markets, Barcelona Aquarium, Flamenco, and Fireworks to Celebrate Sant Joan!

2010-06-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy day of walking today! We started the day with a walking tour to be introduced to some sections of Barcelona we hadn't previously visited on our way to the Museo Picasso de Barcelona. It was really interesting to see the collection of Picasso pieces in Barcelona. They have pieces from all of his periods, most interestingly from his youth and early in his career. While you can see works from his Rose, Blue, and Cubist periods in nearly every major gallery in the world, including the Chicago Art Institute, today was the first time I saw his work from his youth and early career. I also saw some of his ceramic work, which I was unaware of before visiting the museum.

After visiting the museum, we walked to two markets. Barcelona is home to some of the world's best markets, where shoppers can buy all kinds of specialty foods. It is really fun to walk through them to see all of the items available. I was especially struck by the affordability of a number of specialty food items that would cost an arm and a leg in the United States. I picked up some olive oil that is supposed to be some of the best olive oil in Spain.

After the markets, we headed to a restaurant where we picked up a picnic lunch to enjoy near the waterfront.

In the afternoon, we met at the hostel where we regrouped, and then walked to the Aquarium, where I saw the largest sharks and sting rays I have ever seen in captivity.

After having dinner on our own, we again regrouped and relaxed a little at the hostel before going to a traditional Spanish Flamenco show. The show was absolutely amazing. This was my first flamenco dance experience, and I didn't previously realize that it was a dance that involved so much foot work and rhythmic foot stomping, similar to Irish dancing or tap dancing. The dance style is incredibly assertive, especially in the feet, while in the upper body, the dancers move with more fluidity. It was truly a unique and special experience for me in Barcelona, and many of the students left saying that it was "incredible."

Tonight, as we try to get to bed so that we are refreshed for our excursion tomorrow outside of Barcelona (to the cities of Figueres and Girona), Barcelona is alive with energy and excitement, celebrating San Juan. Sant Joan in Spain is the midsummer solstice celebration marking the start of the summer season and the day with the longest period of daylight in the year. In Spain and Barcelona the Sant Joan celebrations are on the evening of the 23rd June. The day after is the 24th June and this is Saint John's day and a public holiday in Catalonia and Spain. The Sant Joan fiestas take place from sundown to sunrise on the night before Saint John's day, and are also called "verbenas," which means open-air fiestas or celebrations.The Sant Joan festival is also called "La Nit de Sant Joan" - the night of Saint John.

El Vendrell (THE CITY OF FIRE?)

2010-06-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

I made that up. It's really because we're all sun burned. Some more than others, but we all pretty much have it. I think mine may be the worst even though I used SPF 50 and put it on three times. El Vendrell Beach was beautiful! I'm proud to say I have officially swam in the Mediterranean Sea! It was wayy more salty than I had expected it to be, but it was very fun none the less. Today, we had a walking tour of Barcelona that ended with a trip to the Picasso Museum. We then visited some of the markets in the area. After that, we had free to time eat the lunch from Miky's that was given to us and now we're getting ready to go to the Aquarium. Then we get to choose our dinner tonight (which is new) and then it's off to the Flamenco dance! Horray for Sant Juan! (I guess it's a holiday here, which means I doubt anyone's getting sleep tonight).

I want to sleep in my own bed and be with my family, but I want to stay here! It's soo beautiful!

Adíos!
Marisa Bellie

(Insert Title Here...I Cant Think Of One)

2010-06-22T23:54:00.000-07:00

As of right now, Im so incredibly tired that I dont know if I can gather my thoughts for this post... and I cant remember where the apostrophe key is. But Im sorry its been a while, its just that there is a constant flow of kids checking facebook and such.
Yesterday, we spent a beautiful day at the beach and some swam in the blue Mediterranen. In the evening we performed in a gorgeous cathedral, where Ms. Mullen said we had two concerts: our performance, and our echo. It was awesome to perform in a place that big, and hear our sound continue for about six more seconds after we stopped playing.
Just to let everyone know, Dia de la Musica was a nonexistent event -- sort of. No one knew what we were talking about when we brought up the festival around here, so fo a while all of us thought the event was made up, however, the event is in a different city in Spain each year, and last year it was in Barcelona.
If I have time to add on to this post I will, but right now w"ere leaving for our awesome day.

Congratulations to the District 99 Chamber Winds and the District 99 Orchestra! Outstanding Concert!

2010-06-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

Today we took a day trip to El Vendrell, Spain, the birthplace of cellist Pau Casals, a truly celebrated musician for the townspeople of El Vendrell. It is really neat to be in a city whose hero is a cellist. Pau Casals was much more than a cellist, though. He was also a conductor, and, importantly, an advocate for human rights and peace. He wrote the hymn of the United Nations.

When we arrived in El Vendrell, students had the choice of going to the beach or spending their own money to go to the Pau Casals museum, and then going to the (magnificent) beach later. Having this choice, I was really impressed by the dozen students who chose to go to the museum and experience something that could have only been experienced in El Vendrell. I think this is a great example of the students' level of sophistication and maturity, and a sign that we have some life-long learners with us!

After the beach, we headed to Esglesia Parroquial de Sant Salvador, a Catholic church where Pau Casals' father was once church organist. The church was ornate to say the least. You simply do not see detail in construction like this ever in the United States. The alter of this church was modeled after the alter in the Vatican...that might give you a more accurate idea of what this church looked like on the inside. The students had a very brief rehearsal to get used to the new acoustics. The reverb in this church was incredible. It literally made our orchestra consisting of 44 members sound as if we had 100 instrumentalists, if not more. The tone was lush and enveloping. Because of the reverb, however, our students in the Chamber Winds and Orchestra needed to adjust their playing in order for the balance and articulation to sound appropriate. It also required us to concentrate intensely on listening and watching in order to stay together. The students met the challenge, and performed amazingly well. Both the current church organist and the organizer of our concerts in Spain said that the ensembles exceeded their expectations and sounded more like the college orchestras they have heard perform in the church. They couldn't believe that we were from a public high school. There was some truly organic music made tonight. Students, you should be very proud of yourselves!

Congratulations on Two Successful Concerts D99 Jazz Ensemble!!!

2010-06-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

Today we spent the majority of the day outside of Barcelona in two cities, Lleida and Alpicat. The Jazz Ensemble performed two concerts. Our first concert in Lleida was in a BRAND NEW performing space called Sala del Ball. We literally opened the new theatre!!! Both the Mayor and the Minister of Culture were present at our concert, which was attended by many of the town's families and especially children, who enjoyed dancing to the music. After the concert, we were given two books about the history of the area, in Catalan, of course! Also, because the town is known for its production and distribution of fruit, we were given three big cases of apples, nectarines and pears to enjoy throughout the remainder of the day.

After our first concert, we headed to a group dinner, where we enjoyed a four-course dinner and then headed toward Alpicat, where the Jazz Ensemble performed their next concert.

In Alpicat, the Jazz Ensemble performed in a beautiful and impressive theatre, especially for a smaller town. On a night when Spain was competing in a World Cup Soccer match (they won!), we half expected there to be no audience, but ALAS! We are in Europe! There was a great audience of locals, and the students in the Jazz Ensemble performed their best concert. The music really came together well. The students seemed relaxed on stage and really enjoyed the performance. They were listening very well to each other. The concert was simply spectacular.

We returned back to the hostel around 1:00 a.m., and the students are now getting ready for bed in order to get plenty of rest for tomorrow's excursion to the city of El Vendrell, the birthplace of famed cellist Pablo Casals, where the D99 Chamber Winds and the D99 Orchestra will perform their final concert of the tour.

The Barcelona Nightlife...and Life in General

2010-06-20T23:43:00.000-07:00

Finally, my first blog post!

Barcelona strikes me as a city best enjoyed by college students or grads. This being said, we are still having a ton of fun! The parties are very amusing from our balconies, and even just strolling by a bar airing a soccer game, the energy is tangible and the excitement contagious. Dinner in the same restaurant as a group of Brazil fans last night was...loud, to say the least. And during the day, shops are set up all along sidewalks and other walkways, making for great and easy souvenir shopping. This city reverberates with a heartbeat all it's own.

First Day of Sight-Seeing in Barcelona

2010-06-20T16:02:00.000-07:00

Today was our first full day spent in Barcelona, and this city is absolutely amazing! The weather is gorgeous, but not as warm as I had thought. Today was nice and sunny, and hovered around 70 degrees. The sun is a welcome change, though, as the weather in Germany was gloomy and cold.

We started the day with a group bus and walking tour through various important points throughout the city, with the first stop being Montjuic. We saw a beautiful panoramic view of the city, and our guide was able to point to the various locations we will be exploring later in the tour from this birds-eye view of Barcelona.

Also located on Montjuic are a couple of botanical gardens, which look amazing, the Joan Miro museum, and some of the swimming pools built for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. This is certainly a great location to take a stroll! There happens to be a gathering for Harley Davidson enthusiasts called Harley Days in Barcelona, and over 10,000 Harley's took to the streets today. We saw bikes at most of the locations we explored today.

Afterwards, we went into the more main part of the city, where we were introduced to various important points within the city. One of these points was the Olympic Village, the area that housed all of the 1992 Olympians, now a bustling part of town, right on the water. Prominently displayed in this area is a fish sculpture by Frank Gehry, the man who designed "the bean" in Chicago. There is also a beautiful marina near the Olympic Village.

We went to a lot of the architecturally significant places, old and new. Barcelona and Chicago have in common great architecture, and since our guide specializes in architecture, he is able to make a lot of references to Chicago architecture, which I appreciate.

On one of our stops in front of an old Gothic church, we were able to enjoy some live music and see a traditional Catalan dance called the Sardana. This was truly a unique and enjoyable cultural experience!

After our tour, students were able to do some exploring with their friends and eat lunch. I ate the most amazing paella I have ever had in my life!

After our free-time, we met back at the hostel to freshen up and get ready for dinner. We then headed as a group down the main strip called La Rambla, which has many artisans selling jewelry, art, crafts, caricatures, souvenirs, etc.

Everything we have experienced thus far on the tour has been absolutely incredible. The students have been amazing so far, which has made the tour very enjoyable for the chaperones, as well. What a great group of students to travel with!

Buenas dias de Barcelona!

2010-06-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

Initial reactions of the Hostel were not happy reactions. However, after getting settled and finally getting some food, plus a good nights sleep =), we all feel much better and are glad to be staying in such a beaautiful city! We tour Barcelona today and saw many of the Gaudi designed buildings. It was quite the site! There is a line for the computer, so I am going to wrap this up. I hope everyone in Downers is doing okay with the storm and what not.

Adios de la ciudad de Barcelona!
Marisa Bellie

P.S. Oh yeah, and Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's!!

Barcelona- Day (In a sense)

2010-06-20T00:04:00.001-07:00

Hola everyone!

I'm going to make this very quick, since there is a line for the computer and we're leaving soon.
We got here yesterday, and already we missed something. =( Unfortunately, we couldn't go to the constellations concert, but before that, the airline didn't know we were coming so Mr. Miller and Ms. Mullen had to take a later flight since there was so much baggage and people on the plane. Barcelona is beautiful though! It's such a different experience, since there's such diversity on the streets.
That's about the jist of what's been happening, and I'll do my best to keep up with the posts!

P.S. There are now two girls rooms on the boys floor... and of course I'm in one of them.

Concert Recordings Available

2010-06-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

Follow the link below to get to recordings from our concert in the Kronenzentrum. I've also included recordings of the ensembles from the Musikschule. I will add a few more details to the notes for each file, but for now... because I need to finish packing and go to bed, I'll leave that for you to figure out as you browse through the files. The order of the program in general was:

Musikschule Orchestra
D99 Chamber Winds
Musikschule Guitar Orchestra
D99 Chamber Winds
D99 Jazz Ensemble
Musikschule Recorder Orchestra
D99 Orchestra

Audio files are numbered in order. Here's the link:

http://www.box.net/shared/jzxuujpndu

Enjoy! Stay tuned for more recordings later next week.

See you in Spain!

Some Images From Last Night's Concert

2010-06-18T12:50:00.002-07:00

Some More

2010-06-18T12:50:00.001-07:00

Last ones

2010-06-18T12:47:00.001-07:00

Another great concert and wonderful day!

2010-06-17T22:19:00.001-07:00

We stayed close to our new "home" yesterday, taking a tour of Bietigheim-Bissingen, meeting with the Burgermeister (their Mayor) and playing a great concert in the Kronenzentrum (their concert hall). The students played with lots of energy and musicality. I'm sure we'll be posting pictures soon and I'll also try to get some audio clips posted later today.

Yesterday Mrs. Mullen added a link for the mobile app for our tour. I think the link she gave us isn't working correctly so try this one instead:

http://m.wbx.me/d99orch

Thanks, Mr. Teague, for getting this set up!

There's An App for This!

2010-06-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

The wonderfully awesome and technologically literate Mr. Teague developed a smart phone app so that those of you with smart phones can more easily access the blog site. Please visit http://m.wbx.me/d99orch if you are interested!

Strasbourg, France

2010-06-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

Pardon my French!

2010-06-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

Today was a very fun day in France. It was exactly as you've pictured and seen in movies, only better... because it was in 3-D! (And yes, it was even better than Avatar!)

When we first arrived, I could tell it was going to be a very scenic place, as there was plenty of green to go around, old buildings, cobblestones, and balconies. Interestingly enough, I don't think I've ever heard so many ambulance sirens go off in my life. There waterway was a very lovely color running through the city, with abnormally long tour boats running on the river.

Quick story on what I had for dinner after our concert last night though (and then I'll get back to France, I promise!) Last night, my host family served me a very interesting dinner. It looks like ravioli, but I think it's a bit tastier! It's not made in any sauce really, perhaps a butter sauce and can have onion bits sauteed with it. I have no idea what the name of it is, but my host mom told me that in English it translates to "mouth bags". It's pillow-shaped pasta with a spinach and meat filling. She told me the story of how this came to be, which all comes down to catholics not eating meat on Fridays. Apparently, the nuns and monks did not want to partake in giving up meat on Fridays, so instead they decided to make this food hiding the meat inside, thinking it would be okay to eat meat on that day as long as God would not see them actually eating meat. So in other words, the man upstairs thinks they would be eating pasta, and all is well!?! Tonight, my family gave me chocolate from Switzerland. But guess what? It was Lindor! Still, it was really delicious. I've also been drinking a heck a lot of apple juice this entire week. For lunch, they pack two HUGE bottles for me, one is usually water and the other apple juice. The Germans love their carbonated drinks (and without ice... or napkins. or tissues. It's quite a problem for me in this house) and the water, carbonated or not, is the weirdest thing I've ever tasted. However, the carbonated apple juice is really tasty and bubbly! But after being in my bag today, it became flat which converted it to regular apple juice.

Okay, so that wasn't too short... But back to France! Luckily, one of my friends took French, which was extremely convinient for us today since the French don't seem to know any english whatsoever. And the rest of us took Spanish... of course. In fact, we bought crouissants today, which were amazing! Much better than the ones in America of course. But while our somewhat large group was in the bakery, the employees apparently did not enjoy our company. They were saying something like, "I hate tourists" "It's so chaotic" yada yada yada. They were a very grumpy bunch.

I also went shopping and found an awesome store, with a treble clef sign as their symbol! HOORAY! =] I loved everything in that shop, including their music! Oddly enough, I've heard tons of songs on the radio and in stores here in Europe, that we have back at home. I'm hoping I can find this store online, one that is located somewhere in the U.S. and get some awesome clothes via online shopping. I have faith, because some of the shirts in there had english logos and such.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to visit the black forest. =[ That's something I was really looking forward to. I was thinking it was going to be something really dark and eerie, specifically picturing the forest from Beauty and the Beast. Speaking of Disney movies, everday I see tiny children with huge square backpacks running to get to class, and everday I'm expecting to see a little wooden boy running across the street and then be chased by a fox convincing him to become an actor. Yes, weird I know, but I think it's just the change in arcitecture and excitement in the air that makes me feel this way. XD

The top is Lisa and me in beautiful Strasbourg, the middle is the waterway, and the bottom speaks for itself! (I've progessed! I can now space out the photos! But I don't know how to move them from side-to-side =( Maybe next time!

Strausburg & 3 stupid guys

2010-06-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

So, today we went to Strausburg , France, and my 3 zears (stupid Y's and Z's!) of french finallz paid off! I translated for my group in the bakery, where the owner spoke no english at all. I was very pleased with myself. I also taught them basic words like 'bonjour' and 'merci' and 'excusez-moi' (I can't find the quotation marks), all of which came in handy. Later, we saw the Louis Vuitton and Gucci stores, and took pictures of them. What can I say? We're girls! Anywazs, on the way back we stopped at the monostary that we were going to visit friday, but can't because we are going to Dachua. Mr. Miller told us to keep the guys from doing anything stupid, as we had 30 min of free time to look around. Needless to say, we did not succeed. I won't name names, but 3 guys decided to take a 'shortcut' back from the vinyards behind the monostary. This 'shortcut' was through a field of some unknown plant with either thorns or nettles. They came back all scratched up with welts all over their arms. 'Sorry Mr. Miller, but we couldn't keep them from doing something stupid!' WHY did they run through a field of unknown plants? Simple, because they are guys! (No offense) ;]

The Past Few Days...

2010-06-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

Have been absolutly amazing! We've been super busy though, so time to update is scarce. I'll try to get a general run-through of the events thusfar.

After lunch on our first day, our host family took us to a huge castle. It was oldtimer day as well, where they bring in all the oldtimers and put them on exhibit for the day. If your anything like me your first thought is, wow that's not nice, at least call them senior citizens or something. :) The oldtimers are any car over 30 years old. It was fun to browse amongst them whilst we waited for our tour. The oldest car there was from the 1800's!

The tour of the castle was amazing. The intricacy of the design and decoration was astounding. My favorite room was the room of mirrors. Mirrors had to be imported, so the more mirrors you had, the wealthier you were. One room in the castle had hundreds of mirrors covering every surface!

Monday we visited a cathedral with over 700 steps! I climbed all the way to the top, and the view alone made it worth it. The cathedral was beautiful, even better considering the soccer ball shaped viewing area and giant TV just outside to watch the fußball games!

You've heard about Neuschwanstein from everyone else, I'd just like to reiterate the graduer of the castle. There is great mystery surrounding the king's premature death. His doctor prescribed him mentally ill and unfit to run the country. He was sent to spend some time at a different facility, and was found soon after drowned with his physician. However, when an autopsy was preformed, no water was found in his lungs. Only a third of the palace was completed when he died, and he was only able to spend about 100 days in his extravagent bedroom that was four years in the making.

On Tuesday we started off our time in Stuttgart with a visit to the Porsche Museum. The engineering in the cars is unbelievable, as is it's long and interesting history. More fun than anything was looking at the cars and their evolution throughout the years. My personal favorite was this Spyder, though the yellow 911 turbo was a close second!

After the Porsches we took a tour of the Musical Instrument Museum. Not much to be said here, it was a good oportunity to take while we were here, but personally not my favorite part of the trip. After the Museum we got to explore Stuttgart and do some shopping! One of the more interesting experiences of the day were the "Toilette Tubes." These were different from any of the pay bathrooms we had seen, because a shower literally sprayed the entire interior after you were done using it. (not sure how to rotate that, sorry!)

Today we visited Strasbourg, France; one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to. We did alot of shopping after our bus tour, and got to see another extremely beautiful cathedral. This one dated back to the 12th and 13th century, and was mind boggling to look at. My group had crepe sundaes and ice cream or coffe at a cafe under the cathedral. It felt like a scene straight from a movie! Our server was pretty funny too! We also enjoyed a spin on a carosel in the middle of the square.

After Strasbourg we went to the abby and walked around for a half hour. We were originally supposed to go Friday, but with Dachau rescheduled we didn't have time. We were running early today, so stopped and looked around a bit.

Whew! Hopefully I'll be on more often! I'm loving my time here, and can't wait for some more adventures!

Last ones

2010-06-15T22:08:00.001-07:00

Some more

2010-06-15T22:07:00.001-07:00

Enjoy!

2010-06-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations on a great first performance!

2010-06-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

A BIG congratulations to the Orchestra, Chamber Winds and Jazz Ensemble on a very successful and enjoyable evening of music making. Because of the very unstable weather around here lately the concert was held in the meeting hall of Freudental (10-15 minutes outside of our home base of Beitigheim-Bissingen.

As with our last performance there with the Honors Band and Jazz Band in 2008, the audience was a good size, very warm and friendly, and boisterous in their applause and support. For the musicians (directors included) there certainly were a few moments where it was obvious that instruments and scores have been packed away for several days, but that didn't stop the audience from insisting on two encores and stuffing the students' pockets full of pretzels on their ways back home!!

The staff of the Musikschule has remarked that our group is very friendly, very polite, very prompt to meeting times, and is all in all a joy to work with. I agree! Our touring groups always do a nice job with sorts of things, but I will admit that this group may be setting a new standard for others to follow (nothing wrong with a little pressure for the tours to come)!

We had another great day of sight seeing yesterday, visitng Stuttgart, the major city near B-B. The Porsche Museum was great, the musical instrument museum tour was fun and we all enjoyed a bit of shopping and lunch in a modern, major European city.

I have pictures I'll post from my phone in a few minutes.

Moments Between Sleep

2010-06-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Today was very interesting. Our trip to Dachau got moved to Friday because they forgot it isn't open on Mondays. Oops! So instead, we went to this big giant church I can't remeber or even begin to pronounce the name of. This is the view from the top of the castle. I can't figure out what happened, but I suddenly can't get more pictures from my camera...

I mean, 764 steps is really high! If you couldn't tell from this picture. I'm not sure what happened, but now my camera's plugged in and it say there are no pictures when I open the folder. Uh oh!

But clearly we were all very tired after going up those stairs! Scott was soo tired I think he finally talked himself out.
We did see the first signs of home today at King Ludwig's castle though! (The hand driers were made in Berkley, IL!) I have pictures but I can't find them on the computer, so you get what I can give.
Also had ice cream today. This time in a cone! I had spaghetti with homemade pasta sauce for dinner which was nice and yummy! And I experience getting lost on a computer in a language I don't understand. Horray for freezes!

Over all though, today was pretty interesting! I got a lot of sleep on the bus (therefore the title) and I'm excited for shopping tomorrow!!!

Goodbye Downers Grove, I think I'm staying here!
Marisa Bellie

P.S. Mom and Dad, I'm kidding I promise!

Day of Exercise

2010-06-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

Good evening!

Tonight, I'm certain I'm going to have nightmares of spiral staircases.

Since our tour agent put Dachau on the itinerary for Monday, we had to make an event change since museums and such are closed on Mondays. So instead, we got to go to the Newschwanstein (pardon my spelling) Castle. (But we are getting chance to go on Friday instead...)

On the way there, we stopped at a church that has over one-thousand five hundred steps up to the top tower. You think that's bad? Oh, no... Trust me, it gets worse. It's a spiral staircase, and it is the narrowest corridor I've ever been in. It was very tricky when other people got sick of the mile-high climb, and they would try and come down while we were going up. Even worse, after our accomplishment we had to find our way down. I was getting very dizzy and evey so often my depth perception would change and it felt like I was about to fall down the stairs. It was a rather scary experience. When all of us got back on solid, flat ground, our legs were shaking like mad. Those who made it to the top plan on making shirts saying something like "I survived the spiral staircase and lived to make this shirt".

On the plus side, I think everyone is over their jet lag. Since the bus rides today were a couple miles long, we got some nice nap time in and conquered the time difference.

The castle was very beautiful. No pictures are allowed inside, unless it's out the window (we could see Austria up there!) and it was a fairly short tour since only one-third of the rooms in there were completed. I was about ready to scream when I saw more spiral staircases to climb, but fortunatley, they were much wider and had a hand railing. There nature hike afterwards was very nice as well! However, we got our other workout session in since it was all uphill. But it was very scenic, and involved a waterfall.

The picture on the left is of me and my friend from North, Julie, and her "Flat Stanley Cup" that the Tribune is offering a contest for. The picture on the right is the staircase that never ends and causes cases of claustrophobia.

Since I#m not really a blogger, I donät know how to make this all pretty and push the pictures down... For another time I guess? Have a great afternoon/night!

~Callie

Ita v. Par 1-1

2010-06-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

(Scott and Liz at Ulmer Münster Cathedral)

As of right now, the World cup score of Italy vs. Paraguay is 1-1.

But enough of that, let's talk about the orchestra's second day in Germany!

Today a lot of us were feeling better after getting some much needed sleep, but we still had bags under our eyes from the day before.

Instead of going to Munich and Dachau (because Dachau is closed on Mondays), we went to the Ulmer Münster Chathedral, a small town that I've forgotten the name of and we visted Neuschwanstein Castle (Cinderella's castle).

At the Ulmer Münster Cathedral some of us climbed the cathedrals tower to the very top. Most of the students made it half way up and stopped from exhaustion or fear of heights. I wouldn't blame them either, If you made it to the top, you would've covered over 700 stairs and would've been 161,53 meters in the air (that's 52,995 feet). Some scary stuff. I made it all the way though and I'm VERY proud of myself. I believe a round of applause should go to Marc Vanderjack (sorry if I misspelled!) though because he overcame two fears: Stairs and heights, and made it to the top of the tower. Congratulations!!

At the small town that I can't remember the name of we were able to do some shopping and eat our lunches. And at Neuschwanstein castle everyone took a tour. We were not allowed to take photography inside the castle but the walls were covered with paintings of Ludwig the II's favorite plays.

On the 4 hour bus ride home many of us fell asleep, after all that walking we were worn out.

It is 22.10 and the score is still 1-1. I'm retiring for the evening.

Goodnight!

-Katie Rusch

Enjoyed our first day of sight-seeing

2010-06-14T12:02:00.001-07:00

After a nice evening of getting to know our host families and cheering Germany on to their first World Cup victory it was nice to get some sleep. Today we're off for lots of great sightseeing including a trip up the 768 steps of the Ulmer Munster in Ulm.

Then we explored the town of Fussen - eating lunch, shopping, and visited Neuschwanstein Castle - the castle that inspired Walt Disney's Cinderella Castle.

So, all is well. Or students are doing a great job in every way!

DAY 1!!!! (We made it!)

2010-06-13T13:52:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!
I'm very happy to announce that this is my first blog post - ever. Moreso, the fact that we made it to Germany, luggage and all. However, the flight was very hard for me, since there was a baby crying a lot, the headphones to the movie didn't work for my seat in particular, and the attendants were constantly coming by with snacks and beverages (not that that's much of a downer...). All in all, I got a little over 2 hours of sleep on the flight, with maybe an extra hour from a nap earlier on as well.
I was very nervous to meet my host family because, well, I have a boy that's hosting me. Lucky for me, he has a sister a year older and all of them are very nice. Well, except the rabbit. I was excited because I have a bunny too, so I began petting it. That' when it bit me. What a warm welcome! But the family, like the flight attendants, also constantly offer snacks and drinks for me, which I feel a little weird declining...
My family decided to take me to downtown Stutgart today, which was a very interesting experience. For one, Ive concluded something about Germans - time is money. (Well, either that, or else itäs just that they like to go REALLY fast). The fastest time I clocked was about 150 km per second, and Germany has very narrow, winding roads. Even once we got downtown (which took maybe a little over an hour) they were booking it. It was a very long day, and I was dozing off on the way there. We first stopped at a TV tower, which broadcasts to people's homes. It was extremely high, but I got some beautiful pictures of the scenery Germany has to offer. Unfortunately, it was foggy =[. But then we went downtown, and I saw tons of shops. But since it was Sunday, all of them were closed. There were some very beautiful fountains and such though, and a pond-like area that had a mama duck with her precious 10 little ducklings (I refrained from taking a picture =/. The adorable moment of the day though was seeing two little girls driving a Barbie mustang convertible around on the cobblestone walkway. We then stopped at a cafe and got some quick drinks. Then a three man band showed up: a guitar, clarinet and accordian, and they began performing. After a while, one actually began walking around with his hat tipped, basically forcing people to give them money. After we finished, we headed back home. (I slept the whole way, and then took another hour-long nap after arriving back at home).
The evening plans consisted of meeting up with another boy who is hosting my friend, Marc, and we went to a public viewing to see the World Cup tornament. I was so happy I got to see a familiar American face, and we chatted the whole way there.
The location was a really weird barn, and the game was being projected up front. Every person was covered in black, red and yellow, with fog horns, drums and whatever else could make noise. It was the loudest thing ever, yet Marc and I were fighting sleep essentially the whole time. (Germany won by the way! 4-0 against Ausralia). Yannick, the boy hosting me, wanted me to stick my hand out and put something on it. I literally thought it was a lighter and that he was going to burn my hand- oops. It was actully just a triple crayon type of thing with the German flag colors. That made me feel really stupid, and I accidentaly go some onmy pants now.
There were TONS of smokers, which really annoyed me, especially since most of them were our age and we were surrounded. I really hope I don't wind up with lung cancer 20 years from now due to this night. But I'm very tired, and I need to shower because my hair smells of smoke. I will definitely be posting pictures, but not tonight.

Good night!
Callie Sorce

Greetings From Germany

2010-06-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

(Saturday, 11 am, North High School)

After about 30 hours of being awake my body clock is completely off. It doesn't know when to sleep or when to eat. I only took a 2 hour nap today and I'm going to bed early tonight so I hope that resets everything.

Everything that's happened over the past 2 days is a blur though.

When was it we got on the bus at north and when was it we landed and wove our way through Germany? What are we doing tomorrow? Where are we meeting? What's 'Tomorrow' anyway? It feels like it should be Wednesday already.

I really need a goodnight's rest, but first the football match! My host family is really exicted about this match (for good reason) and I agreed to watch a little bit with them before I go to bed.

In fact, this entire neighborhood is excited. They're already blowing horns and waving their flags. My host family says that this nationalism is new for Germany, but everyone is welcoming it. Germany is really excited about these games, perhaps this World Cup isn't just good karma for Africa, but for Germany too.

Oh, did you know that during the games Africa handed out horns to the crowd and we every one blows them at once is sounds like a swarm of angry bees? Fun stuff.

The games start in 10 minutes so I'm logging off, sorry if this post was horribly fractured, like I said, I've been awake for 30ish hours here.

-Katie Rusch

25 hours and counting....(26,27...)

2010-06-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

Hello from Germany! I apologiye right now to anyone reading this who is confused by my mix up of the letter z and the letter y. The keyboard is differnt so bear with me. I was told to add pictures to this, but to be honest, I've been so caught up in everything that I haven't remembered to take any. That will change tomorrow! Claudia has to study for a test so I am here to write to you all about what I've done so far with my 25 hours of alertness. Yes, that does say 25 HOURS. When I first got to Claudia's house, I learned her mother doesn't speak much english and her father doesn't know anything more than the word Chicken (which he learned from McDonald's), but that's okay because Claudia and her older sister Birgit speak enough to help me understand. I learned a new game today! It's kinda of like Yahtzee! I think. I haven't played that game in a while. But, considering I was not exactly sure what I was doing, I won! After that, we had lunch and then her family took me on a tour of Sachsenheim (the town they live in). There's a castle here! It's not as big as some of the ones we'll be seeing, but it was still cool! By the way, 7 and a half hours didnät seem so bad until I'd been on the plane for a 3 hours and started to get antsy. I know this is all kind of jumbled. I'm sorry. Everything is going well so far. We're watching the first Germany game tonight! Good luck to them!

Here's to a fun week ahead!
Marisa Bellie

P.S. The ice cream place in town is really yummy! I will post pictures in my next blog, I promise!
Thanks soo much to my family for letting me go on this trip. I can tell it's going to be something I won't ever forget.

Concert Poster Hanging in Musikschule

2010-06-13T04:20:00.000-07:00

The Mullen Squad Heading to Bietigheim!

2010-06-13T04:10:00.000-07:00

Settling In, and adjusting!

2010-06-13T03:19:00.000-07:00

Hey America! This message is coming along slowly but surely, mainly due to the fact that the Z key is where the Y is and vise versa. Kelsey and I will be combining our posts for the most part during our stay in Germany, due to the fact that we share a host family.

The flight went well, as Mr. [Herr=) ] Miller has posted. I hope everyone enjoyed their inflight meals as much as I did. Yumm!!! Chicken and rice with a side of sarcasm. No, the Lufthanza staff was very accomodating and the flight was enjoyable, all 7 and a half hours of it. We were all a little goofy after the long flight

After arriving in Frankfurt, we loaded up two coach buses - Mercedes Benz buses none the less, DG Orchestra travels in style - we began the two hour drive to Bietigheim-bissingheim. Nothing too exciting, alot of us caught up on some more sleep so that we could tackle the day ahead. Alot of comments were made about the trees, because of their height, and the general fact that there ARE trees here, lots of them, not just concrete. Bietigheim is a beautiful citz, the architecture and art is amaying.

We arrived at the music schule and unloaded buses individually. The streets are old and very narrow, and so things had to be taken one at a time. Once everzone was unloaded, or oust loaded, we congregated in the main area to meet with our host families. Kelsey and I are stazing with Muriel and her family. They are extremely accomodating and have made us feel very at home. We unpacked and are taking a break to write now while lunch is being prepared; a traditional German dish. Later tonight is the first German game of the World Cup, and we will be going to a friends house to watch the game. It should be exciting. I've never watched a futbol game, but I can imagine that it will be much like a Hawks playoff game!

On that note, we'll leave you with a final shot from the daz so far, and talk again soon!!

P.S. A big shout out to my mom and dad! Thanks so much for this awesome opportunity!

We're here!

2010-06-13T02:54:00.001-07:00

Short message for now, but the flight was fine, our bus ride to the Music School gave us a chance for a short nap, and we all were very excited to meet or reconnect with our hosts!

We are all at our host families' homes and are just getting settled in. More later!

We're here... Waiting for luggage...

2010-06-13T02:53:00.003-07:00

Hallo from the Frankfurt Airport! We had an uneventful flight. Some students slept... Maybe. More later!

Here we go!

2010-06-13T02:53:00.001-07:00

See you in Frankfurt!

Hurry up and wait... Checking in!

2010-06-12T11:00:00.001-07:00

We're Off!

2010-06-12T09:59:00.001-07:00

Rain rain go away... And so are we! Stay tuned for all the latest from our tour!

I know it's getting late here but...

2010-06-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

IT'S 4AM IN GERMANY RIGHT NOW! (Which definitely makes this okay!)
Which means they're all still asleep! That's okay though because we're leaving tomorrow so I'll just get ready for the time difference by staying up a little longer and testing out my blogging skills. Alright so I lied, the real reason I'm not asleep yet is because I can't actually sleep on my bed due to this:

The real task tomorrow isn't getting through the airport with everyone and all of our things, it's getting through the airport while walking around and carrying this monster:

Yes, that is in fact my bass inside of that. I'm 5'2" which makes this a little over 8 feet tall! It's about 4 feet across and 3-4 feet deep. So my shout out of the day goes to any of the tour participants/chaperons: Who wants to help?? =)

Other than that, everyone's gearing up for our 11am bus call tomorrow morning so to make sure they're all ready and on time, I'm done with my update for today!

Have a fun two weeks here in America!
Marisa Bellie

Final Itinerary Posted!

2010-06-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

The final itinerary is now posted in Google docs. Please look over it carefully, and notice that it has all flight information, including departure/arrival times and flight numbers. We are now only days away from departure! Exciting!

Chaperone Assignments

2010-06-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents of Tour Participants,

All students have been assigned to specific chaperones. If you would like to see your student's chaperone assignment, please follow this link. The email addresses for all of the chaperones are also provided in the event you would like to notify your student's chaperone of any specific needs or concerns you may have regarding your student. If you would like to meet your student's chaperone prior to the tour, you are invited to come to the band room of North High at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 10th. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at jmullen@csd99.org.

Best regards,
Ms. Mullen

Emergency Phone Number

2010-06-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Emergency Contact Phone Number

Jennifer Mullen - District 99 Orchestra
The following phone number is to be used for EMERGENCY contact only. International roaming rates will be incurred.
6 3 0 . 7 9 5 . 8 1 0 6
If non-emergency communication is appropriate, please email Ms. Mullen at:
j m u l l e n @ c s d 9 9 . o r g
(no spaces between any characters in the address listed above)

Some Important Updates

2010-05-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Tour Participants!

There are three items that I will need you to bring on the first day of boot camp (Monday, June 7th):

A black 1" binder
A package of clear sheet protectors (these usually come in packs of 100, so you and one other student could split the cost of one package)
$17 for the concert in Spain

Please note that two items have been added to our packing list: a combination lock and towels/washcloths. Please review the updated packing list here to ensure you have all necessary items.

Also, there have been a few changes to the host family arrangements. The updated host family list can be viewed here.

Ms. Mullen

Sonar Festival Concert at CosmoCaixa!

2010-05-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

ANNOUNCEMENT!

We will be attending a performance of Constellations, which is an audiovisual project by Stephan Mathieu and Carolina Mikalef, inspired by the music of Antonio de Cabezon (known as the "Spanish Bach"). The proposal springs from a cross-stylistic and cross-historical musical dialogue between sixteenth century compositions for harpsichord and experimental pieces based on electro-magnetic procedures that expand the natural vibration of the strings. Retaking the collaboration between Sonar festival and CosmoCaixa, the planetarium will turn into an audiovisual observatory for sonic experimentation and real-time multisensory creation.

This INCREDIBLY COOL concert will cost each student only $17, which covers the cost of admission and the bus rental. Please be sure to set aside $17 to attend this performance.

Students will need to be picked up at the airport upon our return

2010-05-19T05:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents:

Please be advised that students will need to be picked up from the O'Hare Airport upon our return on Saturday, June 26th. We are scheduled to land at 7:15 p.m. in Terminal 5, and should be through customs awaiting your arrival around 8:15 p.m. I will also be blogging when we land, so you could also plan on leaving 15 minutes after you receive an alert from the blog saying that we have landed. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Mr. Miller, Mr. Hornish or Ms. Mullen.

Thank you,
Ms. Mullen

Boot Camp Schedule Posted!

2010-05-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Hi Tour Participants!

The Boot Camp schedule is now posted on Google Docs.

The general dates/times of the Boot Camp are June 7th-11th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. All rehearsals will be at Downers Grove North High School in the Fine Arts Wing. There will be a half-hour lunch break every day, and you will need to bring a sack lunch every day so that you have something to eat.

Please come to the first rehearsal having practiced all of the distributed tour repertoire ahead of time.

The tour is less than one month away! How exciting!!! Ms. Mullen

German Host Family Assignments!

2010-05-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Students!

I have received the host family assignments we have all been anxiously awaiting! You can find your placement here. Please take a moment this weekend to send a personal email or a letter to your family introducing yourself and thanking them for having you as a guest in their home.

Ms. Mullen

New Documents Available

2010-05-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Tour Participants!

Please visit the link to Google Documents on the upper right-hand corner of the blog page to view the most current itinerary, as well as your room assignments while in Spain.

Ms. Mullen

Medical Insurance Card

2010-04-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Students and Parents:

In case of medical emergency, we will need to have a copy of the FRONT and BACK of your child's medical insurance card on file. Please submit a copy of your card to either Mr. Miller, Mr. Hornish or Ms. Mullen no later than Friday, May 7th.

Thank you, Ms. Mullen

Combination Lock Needed

2010-04-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

We will be staying in the New York Hostel while in Barcelona, Spain. The hostel offers lockers, free of charge, for us to use as an extra storage compartment and lock box for valuables. If you would like to use one of the provided lockers, you will need to bring your own combination lock. Please be sure you have the combination written down somewhere safe, in case you forget it while on the trip.

Luggage!

2010-04-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

Here is some handy information from our travel agent, World Group Travel, about luggage:

You are allowed one piece of checked luggage per person – plus one musical instrument (flutes, oboes, violins, clarinets, violas).

The linear dimensions (length + width + height) of the checked-in luggage may not exceed 62 inches and weight cannot exceed 50 pounds.

Include your name, address and phone number inside your luggage in case the outside tag becomes detached.

You may also take one piece of carry on hand luggage per person, plus one additional personal item such as a purse. Remember that the carry on piece should not exceed 45 linear inches (length + width + height) and 13 pounds.

WEIGHT is the most important item to watch.

It is now acceptable to pack walking canes, nail clippers, disposable razors, tweezers, umbrellas and eyelash curlers. Needles or syringes for medicinal purposes are permitted, but must have the manufacturers and/or pharmaceutical label attached. If you are in doubt, place the item in your checked baggage. Hand luggage may be subject to additional screening after passing through the security checkpoint.

We are on the "piece" concept as well. Meaning as a group, we are permitted two checked items per person. Which amounts to one suitcase and instrument each.

Instruments to be checked in:
Alto Saxophone

Tenor Saxophone
Bass Clarinet
Trumpet
French Horn
Trombone
Electric Bass
Cello
Bass

Reminder: Mandatory Tour Meeting on Monday, March 22nd at 7:00 p.m.

2010-03-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

This is a friendly reminder that there is a mandatory tour meeting on Monday, March 22nd at 7:00 p.m. in the North High Orchestra Room (Room 138). We will be reviewing a number of important topics at this meeting, including: chaperone introductions, reviewing the most current itinerary, cell phone use in Europe, currency, travel insurance, airplane meals, rules of conduct, travel agreement forms, medical forms, tour rehearsals and boot camp, tour t-shirts, and blogging about the trip.

Tour T-Shirt Design Contest

2010-02-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

Calling all student artists! We need you to submit designs for the front of our tour t-shirt. The design can be either hand drawn or done on the computer. Please incorporate the following words/phrases into your design: District 99 Orchestra, Germany, Spain, Downers Grove, IL and June 12-26, 2010. Design submissions are due by Friday, April 30th!

New York Hostel

2010-02-08T08:39:00.000-08:00

For pictures and information regarding the hostel in which we will be staying while in Barcelona, check out their website.

Next Mandatory Trip Meeting 3/22

2010-02-01T13:29:00.000-08:00

The next trip meeting for all tour participants and their parents/guardians will be on Monday, March 22nd at 7:00 p.m. in the North High Orchestra Room. During this meeting, we will review the most current itinerary, distribute medical release forms, and answer any questions you have about the trip. Please mark your calendars now to avoid any conflicts. Again, this is a mandatory meeting for all tour participants and their parents/guardians.

All About the EURO!

2010-02-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

The euro (€) is the official currency of the European Union, and is currently in use in 16 of the 27 Member States, including Germany and Spain. This change of currency holds many benefits for the traveler. For example, you will now need to change money only once—from dollars to euros. When shopping in the euro countries, prices will be displayed in the same currency where ever you go. Euro coins and notes will be available at all banks, post offices, cash dispensers and shops. More information about this currency can be found at this link. Information regarding the current exchange rate from the dollar to the euro can be found here.

Travel Insurance Information

2010-02-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

If you are intested in purchasing optional travel insurance, you may find information regarding the travel insurance recommended by our travel agent, World Group Travel, here.

Forms Due February 8th: Passport Form and Student Data Form

2010-01-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

Hi Students and Parents,

Two very important forms are going to be due on February 8th: the passport form and the student data form. A hard copy of these forms will be distributed to students by Friday, January 8th, but these forms are also available in Google Documents here. If you have not started the process of obtaining a passport, it is critical that you start now! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at jmullen@csd99.org.

Thank you!
Ms. Mullen

Trip Documents Available in Google Docs

2010-01-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

Hi Students and Parents!

For your convenience, I have uploaded all of the trip-related documents into Google Docs. You can find the link to the documents in the right-hand column of this blog, where it says "Trip Documents." I hope you find this helpful!

Payment Schedule

2009-11-17T13:24:00.000-08:00

FOR STRINGS

• October 1, 2009 - $300 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit due

• November 16, 2009 - $400

• December 14, 2009 - $400

• January 18, 2010 - $400

• February 15, 2010 - $500

• March 14, 2010 - $500

• April 11, 2010 - $500 (or balance due)

FOR WINDS / PERCUSSION

• November 26, 2009 - $300 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit due + $200 trip payment = $500
• December 14, 2009 - $500
• January 18, 2010 - $500
• February 15, 2010 - $500
• March 14, 2010 - $500
• April 11, 2010 - $500 (or balance due)

Thank You!

2009-09-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the students and parents who attended our initial tour meeting! If, for some reason, you were unable to make the meeting, but would still like to have the opportunity to participate in the tour, please go to the Orchestra Blackboard page, click on the "Travel" button, and print the Intent to Participate and Initial Deposit form. This form, and the non-refundable $300 deposit must be mailed by October 1st.

Germany-Spain 2010! Trip Highlights!

2009-09-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

In Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany You Will...

-Stay with a German host family (along with at least one other District 99 orchestra member)

-Perform 2-3 concerts

-Attend school for a day with your host student

-Visit the amazing Neuschwanstein Castle (http://www.neuschwanstein.de/englisch/palace/index.htm)

-Visit the Ulm Cathedral and see the highest church tower in the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulm_Cathedral)

-Go on a day trip to the German town of Heidelberg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidelberg)

-And much, much more!!!

In Barcelona, Spain, You Will...

-Ride on a catamaran for a harbor and coastal tour

-Go to La Festa de la Musica, Barcelona's largest music festival, where we will also perform!

-Spend a day relaxing, swimming, and picnicing at the beach in the Village of Sitges

-Spend a day at Figueres (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figueres)

-Visit the famed Picasso and Salvador Dali museums

-Explore the architecture of Antoni Gaudi, including his buildings and Park Guell (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_G%C3%BCell)

-Hear traditional Spanish music by Barcelona's renowned Tuna performers (http://www.tunadebarcelona.com/)

-Make your own Spanish tapas (2 meals a day are covered; the cost of 6 optional meals are not covered)

-Eat Spanish churros and chocolate at the famous
-Visit Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia (http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/)
-Go to a Flamenco performance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamenco)
-Go on a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter (www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/areas/gothic-quarter-barcelona.html)

Don't Forget! Tour Meeting on Monday, September 14th!

2009-09-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

There is a mandatory meeting on Monday, September 14th for all families who are interested in participating in the tour.

The meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. in the North High Auditorium.

Need a Passport? Don't Procrastinate!

2009-08-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

First time passport applicants need to apply in person. A useful guide to determine whether or not an in-person visit is required as well as information on preparing documents and obtaining passports quickly may be found at the links below.

Click HERE for the U.S. State Department's information on applying for a passport

Click HERE for the Chicago Passport Agency

Click HERE to find locations where you can apply for a passport

Welcome!

2009-08-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the District 99 Orchestra Germany-Spain tour blog. I will be using this site as a tool to keep all students and parents in the loop of all things trip related. Please be sure to check this blog regularly to ensure that preparation for the trip runs smoothly. Also, as the trip gets underway, this blog will serve as a place to document all of our amazing experiences together.