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Some of our recent band tours
1. Prescott High School Bands Tour Italy and Germany
2. Nevada Union High School Band Together in England

Prescott High School Bands Tour Italy and Germany
Interview with Dan Bradstreet, Director

Which did you feel was your most memorable concert?
All of the concerts were great, but I think the one that I considered to be the most memorable was in Ponsacco, Italy. This had as much to do with the late dinner we had after the performance as the concert itself. We ate at an outdoor café and at the end of the meal the restaurant staff brought out an enormous cake with writing in both English and Italian welcoming us to their city.

What repertoire did you choose to play and how was it received by the Italian and German audiences?
We had a wide range of music that we played. Upon recommendation from ACFEA, we performed Beethoven’s Turkish March, which was very well received. We also performed The Lion of Lucerne, since we had visited Lucerne on our last tour, as well as selections from West Side Story and The Sound of Music. We played Arizona Sunset to help convey to the audiences the area of the United States that we came from.

The audiences really enjoyed our seven-person Dixieland band that performed a few songs and then joined the concert band for some songs at the end of the set. It was wonderful to see the audiences’ positive reactions when listening to a type of music they might not normally get to hear.

What were some of the cultural differences the students noticed?
Although there were cultural differences that we had to get used to, we felt very comfortable the entire tour and all of my students had little or no trouble communicating with the locals. I think the two major differences that the students reported were how the meals always seemed to come out a single course at a time and the number of really small cars and bicycles that were on the roads.      

What where some of the activities the group enjoyed?
The tour of Ancient Rome was fantastic. In the little town of Lucca, many members of the group rented bicycles and spent a good part of the day riding around the town. We did homestays in Wangen, Germany, which, in my opinion, is one of the most important parts of the tour because the students get an up-close look at everyday life in a foreign country.

Any future trips for Prescott on the horizon?
We want to go to Australia in 2010 and I can’t wait to see what ACFEA has in store for us. Our tour of Italy and Germany was so well planned that I didn’t have to worry about a thing.

Nevada Union High School Band Together in England
Article written by Lynn Skrukrud, Tour Participant

Heading back to school this fall, I ran into several of my friends whom I had not seen all summer. When I saw them they’d always ask, “How was your summer?” Truthfully, I didn’t even know where to begin. This summer had been incredible, largely due to my trip to England with the Nevada Union High School Band. As cheesy as it may sound, it was the trip of a lifetime! How many high school students get the chance to travel to England with sixty of their closest friends, march down the streets of Cornwall while leading a procession for the mayor, make friends from around the world, see the artistry of Stonehenge and discover the ancient beauty of England?

Traveling to a foreign country presents so many opportunities for discovery. We saw history first-hand by visiting some incredible sights such as Stonehenge, where we learned of its vast and mysterious origin based upon the sun. During out stopover in Bath, we were told that the Roman Baths were once thought to have magical healing powers. We went to the steps of our forefathers at Plymouth where the Mayflower set sail.

Most importantly were the people I grew close to and the unforgettable memories that I have of the tour. I stayed with an amazing family in Penzance, who not only opened up their home, but also their hearts, to me and two of my fellow band members. We barbecued on the beach and swam on the shores of Penzance at sunset. We experienced English hospitality by drinking tea with three Cornish gentlemen in the midst of parade floats and decorations. We performed to thousands on the packed streets of Penzance, with the breeze blowing my gold and blue color guard flag and a smile on my face as I heard comments from the crowd of, “There go the Americans”, and while spinning my wooden rifle the exclamations of, “They’ve got shooters!” We marched through the colorful streets filled with bright banners and floats in the Golowan festival. We listened to music in the park by our hosts, the Penzance Youth Wind Band.

All in all, more happened on this trip then I could possibly put into words. I will always remember the amazing time I had and England will forever hold a special place in my heart.