Sunday, May 28, 2006

Bon Voyage


Today was our last chance to tweak anything on our concert program before we head to Europe. All the rehearsals, all the lectures about duties and responsibilities finally had a purpose.
We gave our first performance this afternoon at Zimmerli Amphitheatre. The Spartanburg Regional billboard said it was 91 degrees and I'd believe it. Despite the heat, we had an enthusiastic crowd and everything went off without a hitch. Today was important for lots of reasons: we got accustomed to the concert order and the soloists were able to get a feel for singing with the orchestra, but it was also an opportunity to practice loading and unloading the truck and setting up and breaking down the stage. We won't have any time for error once we're overseas, and if we forget or lose something we'll have big problems. It was good to run through the whole routine without too much pressure; I think we all feel more comfortable now and for the most part we know what to expect.
A special thanks goes out to Kim Dearybury (Anna's mom) for providing us with our t-shirts. Congratulations to Adena McDaniel, percussion guru and Houston Elementary music teacher, for winning the t-shirt design contest.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Travel Tip

For those of you agonizing over piles of clothes, trying to decide which ones to take to Europe...

It looks like rain and temps in the Hi 60's to Low 70's at each of our destinations. Salzburg's 10-day forecast is particularly "moist." Consider extra socks, a good waterproof windbreaker, and pants that will dry quickly.

Friday, May 19, 2006

No Pain No Gain

I remember when the Olympics were in Atlanta in '96. I was thrilled when Mom and Dad decided that this would be our summer vacation. We made the three hour trek numerous times to see Field Hockey, Volleyball, Baseball (back when they still had it), Track and Field, Water Polo, and my brother and I went to the Ocoee River for Kayaking. Sure, it was kind of a hassle--a bit expensive, early wakeup times, a lot of driving, and some pretty significant traffic situations. But so, so worth it.

I went back to college that fall and was surprised to find out that there were people who lived right in Atlanta who didn't attend a single event! It just seemed like too much trouble, so they didn't bother. When people try to wrap their brain around the idea of taking a symphony orchestra to another country, usually one of two reactions takes place. They either say,"Sheesh! Why?!" or they know so little about what we do, they can't grasp the size of the undertaking. After teaching orchestra for 6 years allow me to put it into perspective. Taking the kids to Carowinds for a day is an achievement. Going to (and returning safely from...) Europe is heroic.

I say all this because last night we had an Adult Travelers Meeting where we discussed the ins and outs of traveling with a group. There are a zillion things to consider, and unlike a 4-5 person family vacation where you can sometimes "wing it," everything must be planned in advance because of numbers. Meals, medicine, beds, money, finding fun things to do each day, passports, flights, buses.

Ah, but hold on. We're not just any group. We're a public school orchestra.


Instruments, stands, stools, tuners, music, electrical equipment, a podium, venues where we can perform, concert programs, uniforms, percussion equipment, instrument repair kits. If you started to really think about all the work that goes into one of these trips, you could easily talk yourself out of doing it.

But we're in good hands. We had a nice meeting (with some phenomenal banana pudding) and this is going to be a fantastic trip. The itinerary looks great, the people traveling are all really excited, and the music continues to improve each time the kids get together. I think we all know that this hasn't been an easy trip to plan, and there have been a few times when it probably would have been simpler to just throw in the towel. Yet here we are with less than two weeks before we touch down in Frankfurt. It may have been kind of a hassle and an expense, and we still have some hard work to do. But in the end? It will be so, so worth it!


*Hotels are now linked in the sidebar for easy viewing.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Writing On The Go

When I took my first "big" trip--New York City, Washington, DC and Philadelphia--my dad told me I should keep a journal of my travels. I was in fourth grade. I thought he was silly. But I did it anyway because I love my dad and thought that maybe he was on to something.

21 years later, I still write a travel journal every time I go somewhere for more than a couple of days. While I love to look back through my pictures, I also like to remember all the details--airport stories, special meals, things overheard on a train--that can only be captured with words. I hope that when our travels are done our students will visit (and revisit) this webpage, remembering good days and perhaps also laughing about things that may not go so smoothly. And I hope this is a place where our families and friends can congregate while we're gone, following our trek across the globe and sending good karma our way. We will miss you all. Be prepared for some stories when we return.