DGN Band - London New Year's Parade 2011

Money Back

2011-03-02T07:06:00.000-06:00

We have now been able to "close the books" on all remaining invoices to vendors, supplies, etc. relative to the London 2011 tour. We are happy to report that, in the end, we came in slightly under budget, and are able to refund $40 to each student who participated in the tour.

Each student's 'Band Account' (which is managed by our Music Boosters) will be infused with $40.00 this week. Mrs. Wilson (Band Student Accounts Coordinator) working with Mr. Leo (Music Boosters VP for Finance) and Mrs. Little (Music Booster Treasurer) are working collaboratively this week to transition these funds. We anticipate that Band Student Account statements will reflect the credit within the next two weeks. This will allow students to apply these funds to end of the year activities such as the Band Banquet. Seniors, in particular, will want to tap this money so that it is spent prior to graduation.

The most up-to-date account balances may always be found from the "Band Student Accounts" link on the DGN Band Blog: http://dgnbands.blogspot.com/. Click here for a direct link to the Box.net folder with this information.

London Official Group Photo Now Available for Download

2011-02-14T08:33:00.000-06:00

Two versions (serious, and smiling) of the official group photograph taken on New Year's Day have now been uploaded to our Flickr photo-stream:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/dgnlondon2011/

Many Images - Many Kudos

2011-02-02T10:18:00.001-06:00

Today's "snow-pocalypse" gives me a chance to update our London tour group on a few pieces of information, and to share some post-tour congratulations.

First, I want to let everyone know that we received the CD of images taken of our group by the official London Parade Festival photographers. (The only image that we are still missing is the large group shot, taken in front of parliament just before the start of the parade. I'm still working on that one, and will update everyone once we have it to share.) I have uploaded all of the other official images to the Flickr photo-pool that Mr. Damitz created for us. That address is:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/dgnlondon2011/

If you need a 'refresher' on how to sign up for a Flickr account, please visit this post by Mr. Damitz.

I would strongly encourage you to check out these images, and save the ones you like best to your personal collections. There are some very nice, high resolution images of our students performing in both the Cadogan Hall concert, as well as the New Year's Day Parade.

We received two thank-you letters from event organizers, who shared several pieces of information I thought you might find of interest:

This year saw a record breaking street audience for the Parade on New Year's Day of just over 600,000 people. Many feel that this figure considerably under estimates the total number of spectators who crammed the streets.

The three and three quarter hour live TV show, broadcast around the world, was seen by a record breaking number of people this year. The estimate put at something well over 280 million. This was doubtless aided by the fact that for the very first time the BBC streamed the event around the world via its web site.

Finally, some of you are aware that the parade festival hires a pannel of professional musicians - many with great experience adjudicating marching bands - to review the TV zone performance of each band. It's a non-competitive format, but each band is given a series of adjudication sheets with comments from the pannel. I thought you might be interested to read a sampling of comments we received on these forms:

"Good audience appeal from various set changes."

"Great sound!"

"The choreography complimented the musical phrases very nicely. Strong in all areas."

"Great showmanship from all."

"Good balance throughout ... nice sound!"

"Great marching style."

"Excellent use of limited stage. General effect is excellent."

"I appreciate the attention to musical detail. Good solid sound."

"A first-class band. Outstanding!"

"Rockin! What fun! That's indeed the 'way I want it'!"

"Wonderful performance, and very much appreciated by the crowd. Happy New Year!"

"Congratulations on a great performance at this historic London Parade."

So congratulations DGN Band! Truly a successful tour in every imaginable way.

DVDs are now in, and available for pick-up

2011-02-01T10:41:00.000-06:00

If you ordered a DVD of the London Parade, please stop by the Fine Arts Office, room 131, to pick it up this week.

Sign the Tour Poster!

2011-01-31T21:11:00.000-06:00

Tour participants are asked to stop by the Fine Arts Office sometime this week to sign the official tour poster which will be framed and hung in the band room.

Please see Mrs. DePeder in room 131 for the special silver pen!

Village of DG will honor Band on January 18 - You're Invited!

2011-01-07T06:35:00.000-06:00

The Mayor of Downers Grove, and the Village Council, have asked a representative group of students and staff to attend the Council meeting on Tuesday, January 18th, at 7 pm. The Marching Band will be recognized at the beginning of this meeting for their outstanding performance in the London New Year's Day Parade.

The council chamber is not large enough to accommodate the entire Marching Band, but we would like to fill it. If you are interested in attending, we would like to know. We can have about 30-40 students attend with no more than 1 parent each.

Interested students are asked to sign up on the Fine Arts Office window to express interest.

We hope you will join us!

The Best Week of My Life!

2011-01-05T20:51:00.000-06:00

Until London I never realized how fast my body could adjust to a new schedule. I also never realized that I don't need much sleep to function for a week if I have my friends to keep me going. The past week has been memorable, educational, and unforgettable. I have become closer to a lot of my friends in band especially my room mate, Laurel P., who I had to share a bed with for a week. I learned a lot about London such as tax is already added on so the price you see is the price you pay and I learned that a lot of people smoke everywhere. I also enjoyed hearing and playing with some of the marching bands during the parade. The two mile route at the beginning sounded easy but turned out to be never ending. Even though it felt long and tiring it was still a great experience. Now that I'm home and still extremely jet lagged even 3 days later, I am realizing how much I miss London. Luckily though my friends and I took plenty of pictures to remember the trip by. Even though half of the pictures are of cute guys we saw we still have a lot of pictures of other things we saw in London. I know I will always have the memories from this trip with my first plane ride and all the London landmarks and becoming closer to my friends. I will never, ever forget my trip to London with the greatest band in the land!

Coming Home

2011-01-04T04:02:00.004-06:00

As we return to our normal lives, recovering from jetlag, I'm beginning to reflect more and more on just how incredible our band is. I keep coming back to one incident that cemented in my mind that our band is amazingly mature and capable of dealing with problems with aplomb. The last night that we stayed in London, New Year's Day, we marched in the parade, of course. Though our performance was stellar, that's not what I'm here to talk about. After finishing the massed band performance (aka Bass Drum World, named for the 42 bass drums there), we went back to the hotel to change for dinner and a play. One group, the group that I was in, was dropped off in the wrong location by the bus driver. In a normal group, I'm sure there would have been a lot of complaining, but in the DGN band, I heard perhaps one complaint. Everyone else just made lemonade out of the lemons we'd been handed, and had fun standing on the street, then joked and laughed - we saw a pasty shop next to a hairdresser! - as we walked for a half an hour down Fleet Street. When we got to the restaurant, they had no food for us except for apple pie and bread, but again, where you would expect moaning and groaning from a normal group, I heard one complaint. Instead of complaints, I heard compliments about the (really delicious) apple pie, musings on what could have happened, and a really intense game of Angry Birds. We made the most of it, and did it with smiles on our faces. Because of this band's flexibility and ability to have fun with anything, I'll now remember this night as a very fun, positive experience, instead of the negative experience I might have had with another group. This is why I love this band.

15 Things I've Learned

2011-01-03T20:57:00.001-06:00

This trip has been so much fun. It was filled with many memories of times spent with all my friends and the band. I also learned a boat load of information and here's just 15 of the many things I've learned:
1. It's actually kind of hard to keep a suitcase under 50 pounds
2. Big Ben is the bell not the tower
3. British people pronounce McDonalds MacDonalds
4. It is possible to function on less then 5 hours of sleep.
5. Having the same thing for breakfast for a week gets old real quick
6. Mr. Miller and Ms. Miller really like to dance
7. How to ride The Tube
8. Jet lag is a terrible thing
9. Spending a week with friends is a great bonding experience where you come to learn that you would not survive living with them for longer then a week
10. Stairs are evil and that they are the reason people in Europe are so thin
11. No matter hard we tried the band couldn't help but look like tourists (even with the fake British accents)
12. We rode coaches not buses
13. Honey is money
14. I did learn some educational stuff...
AND
15. We have the best band ever!!

A New Year Starting in London...

2011-01-03T18:49:00.003-06:00

Happy Monday, everyone, and welcome back to good ol’ DG!

The Parade on the 1^st seems like it happened such a long time ago, when in reality, it actually hasn’t. It was absolutely AMAZING to march down the streets of London. As I looked up and down the streets we were marching on, at the historical and ancient landmarks we were to pass, I got shivers up my spine. I think it was then that it struck me how utterly staggering it was that we were in London. Having marched in the parade at Disney two years ago, I got a similar rush of wonder toward the magnitude of the performance that was about to occur. Millions of people would be watching us, and they did.

As we began marching down the streets, people crowded the streets, holding their mobile phones, cameras, video recorders high above their heads to capture the bands that walked past. Everywhere I turned, people were clapping, shouting, and celebrating, cheering us on as we continued our 2 mile route around London. It was exhilarating, seeing so many people and knowing that they were enjoying our music. I was lucky enough to be standing near a speaker as some announcers introduced our band to the crowds. And to hear them announce to millions of people that the Downers Grove North High School band is one of the finest bands to ever perform in the parade was a moment that I won’t forget.

A week ago, we left with jittery nerves, many of us not knowing what to expect of our neighbors across the Atlantic. And of course, London didn’t fail to meet our expectations.

From the 365 ft of St Paul’s Cathedral to the foggy cliffs of Dover, from the Tower of London to the Cathedral of Canterbury, this trip to London is nothing short of a week of life-lasting memories. All day, I have heard people telling their peers about the amazing stay in London and hearing people muse that sadly, they would not be eating breakfast in the Ocean Suite of Cumberland Hotel today.

So thank you, to everyone for making it so memorable and unforgettable.

It’s good to be back home. Love you long time, London!

Flickr Photo Pool for London Tour

2011-01-03T06:10:00.000-06:00

Thanks to the work of our student-teaching colleague, Mr. Damitz, we now have a great area set up for students and staff to share photos from the tour. We know that many students will use Facebook to share images, but we would also like to encourage students to upload pictures to this public gallery area so that others (outside their Facebook network) may enjoy them as well.

Please click on the link below for instructions on how to join the group and begin uploading pictures:

http://www.box.net/shared/oet5grz77g

Thank you Mr. Damitz!

Team A is on the Ground at O'Hare

2011-01-02T18:27:00.001-06:00

We just landed; 30 min early.

(sent from mobile)

And the Crowd Went Wild!

2011-01-02T17:39:00.006-06:00

The parade yesterday was so much fun and I am so glad was able to participate in such an amazing opportunity! When I heard the announcer introducing us as "one of the finest bands ever to have graced London's New Years Day Parade and Festival" and heard the crowd go wild, it was the coolest feeling ever. Everyone was cheering us on, from the people from Washington state who took pictures with us to the flight attendents on our trip home. I loved London, but I'm happy to be home and ready to sleep!

Flight B Has Landed 12:20pm Early!

2011-01-02T13:28:00.001-06:00

Still taxiing as I type. It will take awhile to go through passport control, get luggage, and go through customs, but we're almost home!

In the Air

2011-01-02T05:18:00.000-06:00

Both B & C flight groups are in the air, over Ireland, and heading home!

Group A will be leaving the hotel shortly, which means time to pack up the ol' laptop ...

Cheers,

BT

Heading to Heathrow

2011-01-01T23:58:00.001-06:00

Flight Groups B & C packed and eating an early breakfast.

Airport Pick Up Reminders

2011-01-01T22:04:00.000-06:00

Parents are reminded that they are to pick up their students at O'Hare on Sunday. All three flight groups are scheduled to arrive at Terminal 5 (International Terminal). Students should pass through customs approximately 45-60 minutes after the plane lands.

* Please Note: It will be easier for parents to meet their child (and easier on the child as well after a very long travel day) if you park in short-term parking and come into Terminal 5. You may wait on the lower level of the terminal for students to exit customs. It will be much more challenging for you to try to drive-by and pick up your child.

We also ask parents to please be on time (if not early) so that no students are left waiting for their ride.

The tour blog Google-Calendar has been updated with scheduled arrival times, but parents should use the Internet (i.e. http://www.flightstats.com) to track the flights.

Thank you for your assistance!

Full Circle

2011-01-01T20:45:00.002-06:00

Both of my parents were teachers. My father - before he retired - was a college professor who taught Elementary Education methods courses to students who looked to pursue a career in education.

When I was a "wee-lad" (middle school age), my father organized and led a tour of college students to England and Scotland for the purpose of allowing his students to study elementary teaching methods in the UK. I was fortunate enough to 'tag along' with him on that trip, and this tour afforded me the opportunity to meet a gentleman named Stuart Copeman. Stuart was a friend of my fathers, and he quickly became a 'second dad' to me on that tour. I adored Mr. Copeman, his "funny accent," and everything about his energetic demeanor.

I have thought about that trip that I went on with my dad many times after becoming a teacher myself. And I remember - when I led my first international educational tour of students to Germany in 1997 - thinking, "Wow ... I am, in a way, providing an opportunity for American students that is similar to what my father did for his students."

So today, we are marching down Whitehall, just a mere 100 yards from the TV Zone, and steps from 10 Downing Street, and through the yelling crowd I thought I heard my name called from the opposite side of the band. I looked across the Color Guard, and guess who I saw?! Mr. Copeman. I had not seen him in decades.

Feeling that the moment was deserving of an opportunity to break formation, I dashed over to him and gave him a big hug. I had absolutely no idea he was going to make it down to London (from his home in Scotland) to see the parade. Thanks to Ms. Rivera for making quick work with my camera, and capturing this image.

Seeing Mr. Copeman in that moment - I must admit - caused an unexpected emotional response for me. I think it was really at that point when I realized that this specific trip ... leading a tour to England with my own students ... feels very "Full Circle."

Stuart: thanks so much for finding me today, and for making the special journey to cheer on our DGN Marching Band. It means more to me than you can probably imagine. Cheers!

Awards Presentation

2011-01-01T20:22:00.001-06:00

This evening (well, now it was yesterday ... I've been up late packing ....) Mr. Miller, Ms. Ward, Dr. Sorensen and I had the opportunity to attend a formal reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of Westminster and the Deputy Lieutenant of London. North High presented the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lieutenant with several gifts, including hand-crafted ceramic goblets that Ms. Bernard and Ms. Miller (of our DGN Fine Arts Department visual art faculty) hand crafted to 'toast' the new year.

Parents, you should know that the Executive Director of the Parade sought me out personally and raved about the band's performance today.

Mr. Miller and I were presented with two beautiful gifts for the band (framed proclamation from the Lord Mayor and a beautiful glass piece) to display in our showcase at school.

Parade Day Images & Alternate TV Link

2011-01-01T20:12:00.000-06:00

Many, many parents have emailed saying the BBC weblink worked great for them. A handful have said they could not get it to work on their computers. If you are looking to see the entire parade, I heard from some parents that it is now showing on:

www.information.tv

The Beginning of the End

2011-01-01T18:35:00.001-06:00

Whew!! What a busy a week, especially today with the parade and I have a feeling tomorrow will be too, with heading home. We all did a great job at the parade. To be honest, I was really moved by the whole parade. When the band did the finale it was so cool seeing all the British people stand up and start singing with their anthem. Another think I liked was all the comments and feed-back we got from the people along the streets. I was on the street with the band at attention waiting to head out onto the street and the gentleman comes up to me and says "I live in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and I have a cousin who lives in Downers Grove. It's really beautiful there. Good luck." I didn't really have anything to do with band but i thought it was cool cause he noticed us. It was also kind of odd to have this guy come up to me in the middle of the street while I'm attention. Now I have to go back to packing. Can't wait to get home tomorrow!!

Here Comes The Sun

2011-01-01T07:27:00.002-06:00

Band members spontaneously broke out in the famous Beatles song while lining up for our group picture. I love this band. :-)
Just warmed up in Berkeley Square. Stepping off NOW!

Happy New Year! Getting Ready to Go

2011-01-01T06:43:00.002-06:00

The parade has started and we are in our staging area. We just had lunch and will be ready to go in just a little while. Hope you all tune in to watch the BBC web feed!

On our way ...

2011-01-01T04:27:00.002-06:00

British Museum

2011-01-01T03:08:00.002-06:00

Today was a fantastic day! After visiting the Tower of London in the morning, we took the tube down to visit the British Museum. The museum is possibly my favorite place on the planet! It stretches back to the 18th century, when explorers brought their plunder to their home country, stolen (or as kids say these days, "jacked") from countries such as Greece, Egypt, and Iraq. Their collection of treasures spans about 2 million years, from early hand tools to modern art. Today, my group chose a wide variety of collections to peruse. First, we absolutely had to see the Rosetta Stone. It was so much bigger than anyone in my group had expected, because we'd only seen pictures in books before. We also admired the nearby Parthenon carvings, unceremoniously jacked from Greece. The carvings were mostly bas-reliefs, many of which featured a battle between a centaur and a man - who kept getting kicked. Poor guy. The best statues were at either end, and they depicted the Greek pantheon, with the notable exception of Zeus. Then, we investigated an art exhibition, which featured art from around the world, mostly from the last few centuries. This stimulated much interesting discussion (including a reprise of the "what is art" discussion) but not as much as the Japanese art collection, which spanned centuries of Japanese history. Isaac S. and I agreed that the ceramics were fantastic, though some may have benefited from display of delicious food (can you tell it was almost lunchtime?) Then, we investigated the Islamic art and culture section. There were so many amazing items, including weapons and the most beautiful calligraphy you will ever see! We also browsed the Aztec section, which featured stone figures that would fit very well in a horror movie. Gina L. had learned about many of these figures from her Spanish class, so she explained all sorts of interesting facts. All in all, it was a fun and educational day!

Other groups went to different locales this afternoon, including the Natural History Museum, Harrod's, Westminster, and Abbey Road. Mr. Miller wanted to share a picture from Abbey Road, taken by Michael G.

Happy New Year ... from the future! BBC Web Link

2010-12-31T19:27:00.001-06:00

It's 2011 now here in Europe, but back in Illinois you still have a little bit of time to enjoy 2010.

For those looking to tune-in this morning to the parade, I would encourage you to try the link below, in addition to links we previously shared. Web broadcasting can be a funny thing, and links published in advance can sometimes change. We wanted you to have this one below as a back-up.

BBC web link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_9306000/9306090.stm

The Largest Massed Band Ever Assembled In Europe

2010-12-31T15:45:00.002-06:00

It's getting REALLY exciting here now!

Just back from the rehearsal at the Hilton.

Students changing and heading downstairs to dance 2010 away ...

New Year's Eve Day in London

2010-12-31T10:39:00.000-06:00

Quickly, before we head to the 'Grand Finale' rehearsal tonight, here are a few pictures I captured this morning at the Tower of London.

(And a special shout-out to the anonymous donor who made it possible for the entire band to enjoy the Tower of London today. I have a feeling that person might check-in on this blog at some point, so I want to again say how much we appreciate the gift. The students loved it today!)

Too cool ... for school.

And finally, today is Isaac's 18th birthday!

"Happy Birthday to you!!"

Croissant Count

2010-12-31T02:03:00.002-06:00

Four days complete. Mr. Teague's running croissant ingestion count = 22. That's an average of only 5+ a day. I'll try to do better ...

Touring Pros and Kids at Heart

2010-12-31T02:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday's touring gave our students another great opportunity to connect with some amazing (and really long) history. I have been impressed with our students' interest in "soaking up history and culture." They have been attentive to their guides and have taken the opportunity to explore historical locations.

This afternoon our students have an opportunity to sign up for their choice of side trips. The vast majority of the group has signed up for museum visits. Some of us will also be visiting Abbey Road and doing some shopping. Nothing wrong with that either!!

This isn't to say they haven't enjoyed shopping opportunities and just being "crazy kids". I've included some pictures of their adventures at Dover.

Busy, busy, busy

2010-12-31T02:00:00.001-06:00

So it's been a busy week and I've hardly had time to even write a blog post. I also was having a hard time finding wifi. I eventually was able to get on to my roommate Emma K's wifi well she wasn't looking :) so here's what we've been up to.
Well Sunday and Monday just seemed to blur together. Everyone is exhausted but so glad to finally be in London and begin our big adventure in the UK. To start the adventure off, the day we arrived, we all rode The Tube down to the Ritz hotel, where the parade starts so we could learn more about the parade route. Riding The Tube was a blast. I've been on The Tube before but it never gets old. Riding The Tube is so much fun because it's so different and it's also a great place to people watch. It can be quite difficult because we need to make sure we stay with the group and get off at the right stations, but we manage. I can't wait to ride The Tube again!
At the end of the day on Tuesday, we all gathered in a meeting room at the Cumberland to watch Shakespearean Wot. It's kind of hard to describe what we did but it was very funny. We learned that money is honey and that Shakespeare loved it. We also talked a lot about logic and Romeo and Juliet (where the lovely Elizabeth M. and Issac S. both played Juliet). I hate to say this but we actually learned (and relearned) something. Today was so very busy and tiring, I'm glad we got to end it in such a fun way.
Wednesday the Wind Ensemble had their first concert with some of the other bands that came to London too. Maybe I'm just being biased, but I thought our band was the best band out of all of them.
Yesterday (Thursday) we went to Dover but sadly didn't see any white cliffs because it was too foggy. But it but was really cool to go to the top of the castle and just breath in all the fresh air. We also went to a second concert which was also filled with many talented musicians. Well I'm off to go to the Tower of London and them party!!

Time Flies!

2010-12-31T01:51:00.002-06:00

These past few days have been very exciting and life changing. We have gone from amazing St. Paul's Cathedral to foggy Cliffs of Dover. Are days are always so packed with interesting tours and stuff to keep us busy. We have also been going to concerts with fellow musicians who were invited to London just like us. Even though the concerts were extremely long I found it interesting to watch other bands play and to see how they differed from us. My favorite thing so far though was crossing the bridge that was in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. We were allowed to walk across the bridge and then we arrived at the Tate Modern. I am also very excited for tonight because of the New Years Eve party in our hotel and today we are going to see the Tower of London.

Video from Cadogan Hall Concert

2010-12-30T19:14:00.001-06:00

With thanks to Tom and Melinda Garritano, we are able to post a link tonight to the "Whip & Spur Gallop" from last night's concert at Cadogan Hall. Apparently the Garritano family was able to use a computer application to capture the video of the last piece.

This got me thinking: I wonder if any other parents out there did something similar, and might have video files of the other pieces from the concert? If you did, somehow, capture the video, would you be so kind as to send me an email?

Here's the link to the last piece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8ar_yPF_Dc

Thanks again Mr. and Mrs. Garritano!

An encounter with a dead king...

2010-12-30T18:30:00.005-06:00

After His Majesty King Henry the Second engaged us, his grateful subjects, in a facinating conversation on limits of the known world (He had heard rumors of a strange land to the west that he thought might be our "America"), he gracefully allowed us to capture his likeness in this picture. We were visiting Dover Castle after our trip to beautiful Canterbury Cathedral. The Cathedral's story of one of the archbishop's murder was interesting. However, I was thrilled to be there because "It looks like Hogwarts!". For those of you who don't follow Harry Potter, Hogwarts is the wizardry school. See for yourself: Anyway, exploring the tunnels and halls of Dover was enough to make you feel like you were really in medival times, and I had a blast!

There is a Starbucks everywhere ...

2010-12-30T06:34:00.001-06:00

... even next to the gate leading to Canterbury Cathedral. Seems a bit odd, yet I won't complain because it provides a quick opportunity to blog.
Many of the students and staff are opting for traditional fish and chips for lunch!
Now off to Dover.

Enjoying sightseeing in Canterbury

2010-12-30T06:25:00.002-06:00

The City of Canterbury and the Cathedral

Cadogan Hall Concert

2010-12-29T18:48:00.000-06:00

I'll begin by stating very publicly what I said to the Wind Ensemble before the concert tonight, and then repeated after: I could not be more proud of a group of young men and women. They embraced a challenging program with conviction during the run-up to this concert, and it paid off for us. And I use the collective "us" very purposely. There was a wonderful energy on the stage tonight; and a synergy between the musicians (conductor included) that - take it from someone who has conducted many concerts - doesn't always happen. I think what I'm most proud of as a teacher (and this goes far beyond the wonderful reception that was accorded to us from the audience at Cadogan tonight) is that this group of students seemed genuinely - and rightfully - proud of themselves. For a teacher, that's like striking gold.

Many of you tuned in via the web tonight, as evidenced by the dozens of congratulatory emails that were shared. When I powered the iPhone back up, I saw the number 146 in red atop the envelope icon. I have read many already, and will have the bus ride to Dover tomorrow to finish reading the others. I trust you won't be personally offended if I don't reply to each and every one. You can be assured the sentiments are appreciated by Mr. Miller and me very much, and we will do our level best to share with students the genuine and overwhelming nature of the messages that poured in tonight. To the left is a shot I took while standing backstage of the video monitor and the wireless router that 'powered' your ability to watch tonight.

My brother, who lives in California and is visiting our mother in Missouri, sent me this picture of my mom and his beautiful daughter Mila taking in the concert. I was of course touched by the photo, but I share it as an image that I find interesting simply from an information-technology perspective. My wife Kristen sent me a message to say that she and our children - and her parents - huddled around a computer screen to watch/listen. I thought to myself, " ... that would be a funny picture." You know how pictures of folks sitting around a radio, listening to a Fireside Chat, look dated to us these days? I have a hunch that in 50 years, these kinds of pictures will be equally amusing.

Finally, I would like to thank our friend and colleague, Mr. Demetrios Pappageorge for his terrific work preparing "Casey At The Bat." We have been very fortunate to collaboarte with him on this project, and I - for one - think he hit a home run out of the park tonight. Pun totally intended.

A Long Day...

2010-12-29T11:03:00.003-06:00

Yesterday (last twenty-six hours) was quite eventful for the Trojan Marching Band. We departed O’Hare at promptly 8:40. I was part of team A, who flew on British Airways. It was one of the best flights I have ever been on, complete with great food, all the tea you could ever want, wonderful in-flight entertainment and a spectacular crew. Upon our arrival in London we checked into our hotel. The accommodations are very nice, but the staff is what makes our hotel great. They are always happy to help you. We then took an audio tour of the parade route. After a fabulous dinner back at our hotel, we collapsed into our beds for a blissful nights sleep. Today we took a tour out to the sparkling Winsor Castle. Most of us were overcome with the extreme wealth inside the palace. We returned to London on a tour bus, were most of us (including me) caught a snooze as the suburbs whisked bye. We toured St John’s Cathedral. It was the most beautiful church I have ever seen. The ceiling was painted with elaborate murals, and the stone looked like it had been carved by masters. Up hundreds of stairs we climbed to the top of the ornate dome. It was exhausting, but our venture with those spiraling stares produced beautiful fruit, an amazing view of London. It was the highlight of my trip so far. We also went to an art museum. Another tube ride later, we arrived is a business district were we ate dinner. While I am typing this, I can hear people going downstairs to our performance of “Shakespeare Wot” I don’t know what a “Wot” is, but I guess I will find out soon.

(PS: thank you Mrs. Ludwig for the shout out!)

Rehearsal at Cadogan Hall

2010-12-29T09:32:00.001-06:00

We are all very excited about tonight's concert, and energized by a great warm-up rehearsal on stage this afternoon.

Hello from the changing of the guard

2010-12-29T05:24:00.001-06:00

The Guard Band just played a "warm up set" before the changing of the Guard at Buckingham. Selections included New York, New York and the theme from James Bond!

Rocking and Rolling in London

2010-12-29T01:56:00.004-06:00

Wow, we're in London! All +100 members are here and accounted for, and the DGN band is ready to rock and roll. All's well that ends well - we had an incredibly smooth fight, with the pilot taking us on a short detour into Canada to avoid the blizzard occurring in the northeast region of the US. As we passed through the various checkpoints, everyone was exceedingly excited. At the conclusion of the flight, our pilot bid us good luck for the parade, and we headed to our coach buses with high spirits. Among the first things to be marveled at, of course, was the rather odd...er..."correct" system of roads in England. Their steering wheels are on the right side (no pun intended), and our driver cautioned us to really look both ways before crossing the street. Upon our arrival, we walked the 2 mile tour route we will be taking on New Years. It was absolutely fascinating to see all the sights, and or course the insane vortex-like underground "Tube" was qute an adventure in itself. We felt like perhaps we were being warped through time and space.... :)

We visited Windsor Castle on the 2nd day, and despite the fog, we all marveled at the magnificent rooms and views that the castle provided. Next, some of the band members decided to challenge the 300+ feet on St. Paul's Cathedral....I've never been more scared of stairs in my life. The view, however, made it all worth the effort!

The band is looking forward to taking a bus tour, and make sure to listen to the Wind Ensemble perform today!

2 for 1 Posts! (Monday and Tuesday in one :) )

2010-12-29T01:33:00.002-06:00

Well, we finally got to London! It is so exciting that after months of planning and preperation we are finally here. After a long and tiring flight, we boarded a coach (The coach drivers don't like if we call them buses) and drove to the hotel. It is such a strange sensation to drive on the left side of the road. We then went on a self-guided walking tour and toured the parade route that we will march on Saturday. One of the most exciting things that happened on this tour, was the man that was tackled and pinned to the ground by a couple of store clerks because he stole some store merchandise. It reminded us all to keep our bags close to us at all times. :)

Tuesday was packed with touring. We visited Windsor Castle, St. Paul's Cathedral, Millennium Bridge, Tate Modern, and Covent Garden. All were magnificent! Windsor Castle had beautiful halls filled with silver and gold (Real silver and gold, not the spray paint ;) ) Covent Garden had some excellent street performers. There was a man singing and playing guitar and he was fantastic. The Tate Modern had many many great exhibits. I personally enjoyed the Andy Warhol cows (They were hot pink and covering the walls!) It really was a fantastic day of touring and I hope today will be great too! Watch the Wind Ensemble perform tonight!

5 Things I Learned In London

2010-12-29T01:15:00.002-06:00

1. 365 feet is *really* high up

Today, after visiting Windsor Castle - I'll talk about that in a bit - we took our coach back to St. Paul's cathedral. Even from the outside, it was stunning! In fact, our guide told us that it had just been thoroughly cleaned, and that this was the most magnificent we would ever have a chance to see it. Well, the cathedral did not disappoint! After wandering around the crypt and cathedral floor for a while, taking in the mosaicked ceilings (shiny!!) and the officers' mortuary statues - many fought in the American Revolution or the War of 1812 - we started to climb. And climb. And climb some more. Of course, our objective in all of this was to climb to all of the galleries in the church. The first one encircled the main dome and gave a breathtaking view of the center of the cathedral, as well as the "secret rooms" up above the different side rooms, that held old organ pipes and the like. So cool! Next, my group (Jackson H., Martin M., and Gina L.) and I decided that we would make the next long trek up to the gallery outside, where we got to see London from a pigeon's-eye view. It was so amazing to see the city shrouded in faraway fog. London is an incredible city! This wasn't the last of the beautiful sights...we had one more (somewhat terrifying) wrought-iron staircase to climb, where we found ourselves at the top of the highest dome. We could see the ant-sized people milling about through a small Plexiglas window. Then we went outside. This view, if you can believe it, was more incredible than the last. We could see all of the major landmarks in London, from Tower Bridge to that weird new office building, from very old to very new. It was totally worth the hundreds of stone and iron stairs that we climbed to see it. And, as a bonus, none of us will ever complain about the school stairs again.

2. Santa would blend in well in the Queen's state apartments

The decor in Windsor Palace is nothing short of sumptuous. One ostentatious room follows another, and the interior design gets more stunning with every room you pass. The craziest chamber we visited was the Queen's Crimson Drawing Room. As I said, Santa would totally fit in! Almost everything in the room was a deep shade of scarlet, from the wallpaper to the cushions on the furniture. In fact, I'm pretty sure that if Santa were to come down that chimney, no one would ever be able to find him again - he'd be perfectly camouflaged. Let's hope Santa picks a different chimney come Christmas at the Queen's palace!

3. I want to be in the guards' rooms at Windsor when the zombie apocalypse happens

To survive the zombie apocalypse, sometimes lovingly referred to as the "zompocalypse", would, of course, require lots of weaponry. And the guards at the castle have it in spades! In fact, they have so many gins and swords that they can afford to mount them on the wall in decorative patterns, most notably, the sunburst of pistols that features a unicorn at the center. No, I'm not kidding. This room has more swords than a roving band of ninjas could use in a century. Or something like that. Anyways, it was a lot of swords and gins, which would likely come in handy if the zombie hordes somehow swam across the pond from their home in Hollywood.

4. The Millennium Bridge sounds like a bad sci-fi movie

Once again, dear readers, I am not kidding. When we set foot on the Millennium Bridge, walking from St. Paul's Cathedral to the Tate Modern art gallery, a budding genius - whose name will remain forever unknown - discovered that scuffing your feet on the wet bridge made a sound remarkable like a '50s laser gun sound effect. So of course, my friends and I caught on, and as people traversed the bridge, they made imaginary alien space battles, one of which almost culminated with a plunge into the Thames. Thankfully, none were hurt as Zorg and his cohorts flew off to terrorize other planets with their cheesy-sounding laser guns, and the DGN marching band went off to absorb the last century of art history.

5. Pink cows are remarkably creepy

As we walked into the gallery, I was momentarily terrified: there were Pink. Cows. On. The. Walls. The entire gallery was covered in lemon-yellow wallpaper with the aforementioned bovines stamped on the walls. We had arrived at the Andy Warhol collection of the Tate Modern. *insert dramatic music here* His pop art was incredibly striking, including four giant panels of camouflage, and two even larger panels of slightly different guns. His oeuvre may seem downright weird to some, but it's certainly interesting, and most definitely worth a look.

Day 2

2010-12-28T18:40:00.000-06:00

The first thing I'd like to say is "thank you" to all who sent 'Breakfast Shout-Outs' today! We got lots, and had fun reading them. Still have enough that came in late today for Wednesday and Thursday's breakfasts. But I'll still welcome any new shout-outs you'd like to pass on to me via email, and I'll get them "in the queue" (as the British say) for Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Next, I'd like to share that we have a number of student bloggers who have written entries, and just have not had time today (such a busy schedule) to get their posts up and live online. I think you will see more student perspectives posted tomorrow for sure.

Gwen already did a great job sharing a general overview of our day today, so I won't repeat that. Instead I'll share two pictures I captured today. One of a quartet + a guard at Windsor castle, and one of the entire group in front of St. Paul's Cathedral. The later is a little blurry. We also took a similar shot with Mr. Damitz's camera, and we'll post that again when we get back to the states I'm sure. (Click on any blog image to see a larger version.)

Tomorrow we're off for a guided coach tour of the city, as well as our dress-rehearsal at Cadogan Hall ... and then of course our concert! Don't forget, there is a link on the right-hand side of the blog if you'd like to watch that concert online Wednesday. It should begin at 1:30 pm (CST). We are, I believe, the second group to perform on that concert, so I would suspect we'll be performing at approximately 1:50 pm.

2010-12-28T16:55:00.006-06:00

Today was a busy day. We used three modes of transportation, bus, Tube, and, of course, our own two feet. It was really exciting and thankfully jet lag didn't hit me too hard.

Our first stop was at Windsor Castle. On the way there, the tour guide gave us a very informative overview of London and Windsor's history. The castle itself was beautiful, and the fog made it all look even more mysterious, with all of it's rich history.

We took the bus back, and went on to St. Paul's Cathedral. It was beautiful! Everything was decorated with mosaics and murals. My favorite part was climbing hundreds of stairs to the top, where I took this picture. The bridge is the Millenium bridge, and yes, it is the one from the sixth Harry Potter movie. We walked over it, to the building with the tower behind it, the art museum, the Tate Modern. The art was really intresting, and I found the mental play it put into simple things really interesting.

After that, we took the Tube (London subway) to the Covent Garden area, to eat and shop. I loved all the lights and the music in the streets. I am thrilled to really be in London, and can't believe it still!

Hey Parents Back Home! (Hey what?!) - Breakfast Shout-Outs!

2010-12-27T16:56:00.000-06:00

Want to send a "shout out" to your student, a group of students, or even a message of congratulations to the entire band? We'd like to try something new on this tour that we've never done before, called "Breakfast Shout-Outs!"

Here's how it works ...

Send Mr. Teague an email with a brief message of congratulations, or similarly affirming comment. He will pick several to read each morning to the band at breakfast.

Go on ... you know you want to! Let these hard working students of the DGN Marching Band know how proud you are of them for their awesome accomplishment, and wish them well this week!

Send your message to: b t e a g u e @ c s d 9 9 . o r g

(Note, there are not spaces in the email address.)

I'd love to start this in about seven hours, so if anyone can send along one before midnight on Monday (Chicago time), it would be appreciated! But send them along any time this week ...

Another quick message to say we're all here and are doing great!

2010-12-27T15:25:00.001-06:00

Greetings from London! We have completed our first day of travel and already have done some nice sightseeing of London by participating in an audio guided tour of our New Year's Day Parade Route. While it's just past 9pm here our students have retired to their rooms for the evening and just about every one of them have gone to sleep. I'm sure a good night's sleep will reenergize them for another great day of touring tomorrow.

ALL of our students have done a great job with everything they have done in these past 24 hours including: navigating O'Hare and Heathrow Airports, using the London Underground tube system to start and end their tours, and most importantly working together in a very positive way despite a limited amount of sleep for most of our travelers!

Here's a couple pictures from our adventures including Group B searching for their baggage here at London Heathrow and a shot of Big Ben and some our students finishing their audio tour.

Good night from London!

Day 1

2010-12-27T15:17:00.000-06:00

I am so proud of our students, and the way in which they handled the stresses that come with being tired after a transatlantic flight.

It's really exciting to be here, after 15 months of planning. I think for me, as a teacher, my favorite moments today came from seeing the smiles on faces as it really 'sunk in' that we're in Europe together. That first happened when we walked out of Heathrow and were escorted to a 'double decker' charter coach. Now this is something we don't see in the United States, and many students (even the seniors that typically go out of their way to appear cool and collected) rushed to the top like kids in a candy shop.

After checking into the hotel, we all took our first Tube ride to the Green Park stop, and found the Ritz Hotel. The Ritz is the starting point for the parade, and we walked the entire parade route with an iPod-like audio guide that was provided to each participant.

We saw some great sights, culminating with Big Ben. I think the parade walk today really put the magnitude of this performance in perspective for many of our students.

We are ready for sleep!!

We're all in Jolly Ol' England!

2010-12-27T06:51:00.003-06:00

A very quick post to let families know that all three flight groups are on the ground. Team A checked into rooms. Team B arriving at the hotel within minutes, and Team C should be moving through imagration control at Heathrow.

Bon Voyage!

2010-12-26T20:20:00.000-06:00

Smooth Check In

2010-12-26T18:03:00.001-06:00

Ready For Take Off

2010-12-26T09:53:00.003-06:00

After packing my suitcase about a million times I finally think I am ready to go. Today is the day we leave for London. I am very excited to see new things, but I am also extremely nervous. I have never been on an airplane. Hopefully the flight will go well and we will get over there safely. What I am most looking forward to is spending time with the amazing band family we have. The whole band gets along so well and we all are such great friends. I can’t wait to get to spend a whole week with them.

Airline Seat Assignments

2010-12-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

This is a reminder to students that your seats on the aircraft today will likely be assigned alphabetically, by your last name. DGN has no control over these assignments.

All passengers must be in these assigned seats for departure. There will be no exceptions for students. The only potential changes prior to take-off will be for DGN staff who - in working in consort with the airlines - may need to reposition themselves for supervision and access. These changes (if needed) will be coordinated by the flight attendants and your group chaperones. If you are asked by a staff member or flight attendant to switch seats, please do so politely.

Later in the flight, once the aircraft is at a cruising altitude and the captain has given passengers permission to move in the cabin, minor adjustments to seating for students may take place. However, if this is desired, it should be done quietly, slowly, without disruption to others, and in a staggered fashion. In other words, everyone can't just stand up and start changing seats. Think of it like a slow chess game ... one move at a time.

In the end, you might just find that it's okay to be sitting next to someone in the band you don't already know very well. A great opportunity to get to know someone new!

Chicago Sun-Times Feature

2010-12-25T22:55:00.001-06:00

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/3022976-423/band-london-parade-downers-north.html

Thank You!

2010-12-25T21:36:00.001-06:00

I was walking home yesterday when a man shoveling his driveway stopped me and asked if I was going to London. He enthusiastically wished us luck. He was very excited that the DGN band would be representing Downers Grove, Illinois, and the United States. Later that night, after Midnight Mass, a parishioner who does not live in Downers Grove told me that she had seen the band on the news and she really wanted us to have a fun time in London. Again, she was excited that the DGN band would be our community’s representatives in London. This excitement about the trip has been a constant sentiment from friends, neighbors, and relatives. All have wished us well. I personally feel that the support from the community has given this trip a special feel. So thank you, our friends, neighbors, and relatives for you incredible support of the band. From the unknown citizen who provided the means for the whole band to visit the tower of London to the man on the street who just wanted us to have a good time and perform well, they are the ones who made this trip possible. Thank you for you support. We will not disappoint.

Excitement in the Air!

2010-12-25T12:39:00.005-06:00

Last night I had my family Christmas party, and everyone was excited to hear about the trip I was about to embark on. They were thrilled that my high school had been selected for this honor, and everyone was looking forward to reading the blog and hearing about our adventures across the ocean. It helped me realise that this really is something special, and I'm proud (and excited!) to be a part of it. I can't help but feel that everything on this trip is going to go great, as long as I can fit everything in my suitcase without it exploding! Merry Christmas!

It's almost here!

2010-12-25T11:24:00.003-06:00

I just finished my packing and I think that it has finally hit me, we are going to London tomorrow! I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to travel out of the country (my first time!) with the TROJAN marching band and be able to share our music with people around the world. This will be my 3rd trip with the band (previously going to the Indy 500 and Disney World) and each trip is a unique and special experience. I am so excited to leave tomorrow and I think I am going to go check my suitcase one more time to make sure i'm not missing anything. The next time I post, i'll be in London!

The Countdown Begins

2010-12-25T10:40:00.001-06:00

Now I've been thinking about this trip for along time, what with all the fundraisers the band has done and just getting ready for this trip in general with all the practices. I've also been packing and repacking for it since the beginning of break. But it just hit me now that we are going to London in less then 30 hours!! It's going to be so exciting seeing all the cool historical sights like Big Ben and the Tower of London. I have to admit, I'm pretty nervous about getting through the airport but excited to be flying. Let's just hope that London doesn't get any big snow storms in the next 24 hours! Rest up everyone and I'll see you all soon.

And then it was 'One' ...

2010-12-24T22:33:00.001-06:00

Well, it's time. The moment is here, and I am so proud of the members of the DGN Band as we are literally 24-hours away from embarking on the London tour. On the eve of Christmas - a season that is predicated on anticipation - the irony is not lost on me as I consider how long we've been planning this jont across the pond.

This post will mark my first that is more about 'personal reflections,' and much less about announcements and logistical detail. From here on out I think you will find that most of my writing will be about celebrating the successes of our students, and doing what I can to keep our family and friends back home updated with news from the 'front lines.'

So, to begin our 'celebrating,' I would like to simply say "thank you" to all of the amazing people that make up the DGN Band Family. It's hard for me to believe that it has been 15 months since we all met in the Johnson Auditorium and first talked about the details of the tour, and what it would take to get us to England for these prestigious performances. Over these past months students, moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. have all stepped up, and stepped in, to help support the tour and to make these dreams become a reality. So, thank you. Mr. Miller and I truly appreciate the trust you have put in us to organize this adventure. You have our word that we will continue to work around the clock to provide a wonderful experience for your student musician.

After the weather challenges that England (Heathrow in particular) faced just a week ago, I continue to hold my breath and keep my fingers and toes crossed that all our flights will depart on time (or at least nearly on time!) Sunday night. I have felt a great deal of empathy for stranded travelers this past week, as I'm sure you have as well. Of course, the weather is one part of the equation to which we have absolutely no control. We are cautiously optimistic at this point that it will be smooth-sailing for all three of our travel teams.

Speaking of 'smooth sailing,' Mr. Miller reports that all of our pre-shipped instruments and equipment trunks have arrived in England!

I will offer this bit of advice for travelers as we get ready to go: go to bed as early as you can on Saturday night, and get up out of bed as early as you can on Sunday morning. Additionally, you should try very hard to go to sleep on the aircraft as soon as dinner is finished. This might be a challenge, especially given your level of excitement about the trip. I promise you that Monday will be much more enjoyable - and your transition to a new time-zone will be easier - if you start to gradually move your body-clock in the next 48 hours.

Finally, this might be a good time for me to point out that on the right hand column of the blog you will begin to see new links added to a section that's called "Through the Eyes Of ..." If you click on any of the names of our student or staff bloggers during the tour, you will be redirected to a list of posts from that particular writer. I hope this will allow you to narrow your reading focus as you desire.

48 Hours

2010-12-24T13:58:00.004-06:00

Greetings! Hope everyone has enjoyed some well-deserved relaxation time, and has been getting well-rested in preparation for London. Remember, today and the morning of the 26th are the only times to do some last-minute shopping before we embark on our journey across the pond. Thankfully, the weather in London will not be as bitingly cold as it is here; however, as the temperature ranges from the high 30's to mid 40's, remember to pack warm clothes. Speaking of packing, now would be as good a time as ever to finish up (or start!), and double check that you have everything you need. If you have any questions, make sure to check previous blog posts, or the airline website about suitcase sizes. Be conscientious of how many things you take, and don’t forget to use the handy packing list that was handed out at the last rehearsal. Hope everyone continues to stay safe and happy these next few days. See you all in 48 hours! :)

Two

2010-12-23T16:53:00.000-06:00

Two more days. Can you believe it?

This post will focus on a few reminders relative to arrival on Sunday at DGN, paperwork to have in hand, what to wear, etc.

Passports & Airline Tickets

Student passports will be collected by the designated chaperone upon arrival December 26^th. The chaperone will carry the passport to O’Hare. ‘Chaperones groups’ will check-in together at the airport. The chaperone will hand the student their passport and the airline ticket during the check-in process. The student must then be responsible for the passport until they have moved through security. After the entire ‘chaperone group’ has moved through security, the chaperone will again collect the passport and boarding pass for each student. Boarding passes will be handed back to the student just prior to boarding. Chaperones will then be in possession of passports, as well as airline tickets for the return flight, for the duration of the tour.

Departure Day Information - December 26^th

What to wear: Students and staff will wear the following on travel days …

· Red long-sleeved tour t-shirt

· Nice jeans or khaki pants (no holes of any kind, and not sagging. No underwear visible from anywhere.)

· Shirts will be tucked in. Students should wear a belt with their pants if the pants are designed to accommodate a belt.

· Comfortable walking shoes.

· A comfortable coat/winter jacket.

Tour participants should arrive at North High based on their flight group:

Team A & B: Arrive/load at 3:30 pm. Depart DGN at 4:00 pm. Arriving earlier than 3:30 pm is not helpful.

Team C: Arrive/load at 6:00 pm. Depart DGN at 6:30 pm. Arriving early than 6:00 pm is not helpful.

Buses will depart from the FACULTY PARKING LOT on the corner of Main St. and Grant St. Parents are asked to drop-off/park at the far north side of the lot to allow room for the buses and loading.

We will be riding school buses to O’Hare (Yellow Limos!). Every student will be responsible for managing their own bags on and off the bus, as well as moving the suitcase to the check-in. We will all pitch in and help one another, but each student should consider this as they choose the type of bag they will bring, how much they pack, and what the bag will weigh.

Please be advised that all student/chaperone bags and instrument cases may be subject to inspection by the local Police Department canine unit. These specially trained dogs are used to immediately identify any illegal substances. We do this as a precautionary measure to assure a safe and positive experience for all tour participants.

Let it be: The Beatles' Abbey Road zebra crossing protected by Grade II listing

2010-12-23T06:15:00.001-06:00

Article from the London Daily Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/travelnews/article-1341018/The-Beatles-Abbey-Road-zebra-crossing-given-Grade-II-listing.html

Making a list and checking it twice (and some tech talk too!)

2010-12-22T15:28:00.002-06:00

At our last rehearsal we passed out a handy packing checklist that should be filled out (as students actually pack those items) and then given to their chaperone upon arriving at North on the 26th. Here is a link to a printable copy of that checklist just in case it got misplaced. There are actually two copies of the checklist on the page but students only need to complete one.

Several students have also been asking for clarification about power adapters, phone chargers and all things electronic for use on the tour. Here, once and for all, is the explanation (hopefully) of what students will need and will NOT need for the trip:

1) DO NOT BRING A HAIR DRYER! There is a lovely one in each hotel room for your convenient use!
2) If you MUST bring a curling or straightening iron, you will need a HIGH WATTAGE or DUAL WATTAGE VOLTAGE ADAPTER (explained below)
3) If you are brining small rechargeable electronics such as a cellphone, iPod, digital camera all you will probably need is a PLUG ADAPTER (explained below). Here's how to know for sure. Take a look at the charging plug for your electronic device. It will have a bunch of writing on it. Here is an example of two of my own charging plugs (Click on image to enlarge):

The plug on the left says "Input: AC 120v 60Hz 4W. 120v is what we use here in the US. The UK and Europe use 220v so I cannot use this power supply in London without a LOW WATTAGE or DUAL WATTAGE VOLTAGE adapter (explained below, I promise!). The plug on the right, however, says Input: 100-240v 200mz 50-60Hz. That lets me know that it will work on US voltage AND UK/European voltage. So for that device, all I need is the PLUG ADAPTER!

Now for the explanations!

Voltage Adapters/Converter

These come in three types - High Wattage (for devices from about 50w to about 1800w), Low Wattage (for devices less than 50w), and Dual Wattage (which can do both kinds of devices by switching a switch). Curling and straightening irons will need the High or Dual Wattage adapter. Small electronics will need the Low or Dual Wattage adapter.

A quick look on Frys.com turned up the following dual wattage adapter for what seems to be a great price (click on top line for link to website):

FOREIGN VOLTAGE CONVERTER KIT(Hi/Low 1875 watt Converter)
FRANZUS TSM-1875CK: FRYS.com #: 5446259 $22.99

It also is supposedly available currently in the store right here in Downers Grove. Note that this adapter also comes with the plug adapters that you will need to plug this into the wall in your hotel room (plug adapter goes into the wall, then the voltage adapter plugs into that, and then your device plugs into the voltage adapter).

Another adapter that is in stock at Fry's is a HIGH WATTAGE ONLY adapter that is also slightly less money. If you know you only need the adapter for the curling iron or straightening iron, then this is for you! Note that this adapter also comes with the plug adapters that you will need to plug this into the wall in your hotel room (plug adapter goes into the wall, then the voltage adapter plugs into that, and then your device plugs into the voltage adapter).(click on top line for link to website):

Remington TL-265 International Voltage Converter / Adapter

REMINGTON:
FRYS.com #: 2111917
$14.99

Plug Adapters

If you do not need a voltage adapter/converter you will still need a plug adapter that will change the shape of your US plug to the UK plug type. Fry's sells a couple sets of plug adapters (including one for use in the UK and several for various parts of Europe) for a range of prices. The adapter you need looks like this:

Here are two sets of adapters that look like they will work. For these prices, however, I'd consider getting one of the voltage adapters/converters described above which also includes the plug adapters that you can use on their own without the voltage adapter. Then you are ready for future international adventures!

United Kingdom Plug Adapter These 4 Plug Adapters will Convert most Elect. Plugs VC-40

GQ Products:
FRYS.com #: 1769513

$8.79

Lenmar: AC5 World Traveler Adapter Plug Set, With Various Adapter Plugs
Power Transformers: FRYS.com #: 4132603 $12.99 I hope this helps! Please feel free to email Mr. Miller if you still have any questions!

Three

2010-12-22T11:44:00.000-06:00

With just three days to go we thought it appropriate to introduce our Student Blog Team that will be reporting out during the tour:

Julie Arentsen (12)

Gwendolyn Cortez (9)

Michelle Hsu (11)

Emma Kombrink (10)

Laurel Post (10)

Emily Temple-Wood (11)

Joe Vitti (10)

In the coming days you will start to see posts from these student bloggers, and we hope you will enjoy following the band's tour through the eyes of these dedicated students and creative writers.

Four

2010-12-21T08:43:00.000-06:00

Parade Goes Global on BBC Site

The entire New Year’s Day Parade London will be streamed live around the World on the BBC website on January 1st, it has been confirmed.

Officials have been persuaded to lift the international ban which usually prevents overseas ‘viewers’ accessing BBC streams – due to the unprecedented international demand.

The 25^th Anniversary parade telecast, which features more than 8,000 performers from a number of nations, can be accessed at www.bbc.co.uk/london .

Streaming is due to begin at 11.30 am GMT (05.30 CST).

“This is terrific news! Well done BBC.” said Bob Bone, Executive Director of The New Year’s Day Parade.

“Having the BBC provide global coverage is a massive boon – especially for the thousands of performers who are travelling to London from outside the country. They will have many friends and family members wanting to enjoy the moment too.

“Hundreds of TV stations will be receiving coverage via satellite – but there are always areas that won’t have the benefit of a local screening.”

There will be additional post parade streams at www.infomation.tv on January 1^st and 2^nd at 20.00 GMT (14.00 CST) and at 17.00 GMT (11.00 CST) on January 3^rd.

Five

2010-12-20T14:02:00.000-06:00

Five days to go!

There was a nice article about our upcoming trip posted today on The Patch website. We hope you enjoy reading it ...

http://patch.com/A-cFTP

Six

2010-12-19T13:37:00.000-06:00

Today we'd like to share a helpful reminder about using Credit Cards on the tour, as well as information from the Hotel regarding the availability of WiFi.

Credit Cards:

If your student participant is using a card on your account, you are encouraged to call your Credit Card company this week and make sure they know the card user will be traveling in Europe, and the dates they will be there. Otherwise a student might find themselves in a position where the card is denied. Again, please let your card company know that it is okay to authorize use of the card in England between December 27 and January 2.

WiFi:

WiFi at the hotel is provided by BT Openzone and is supposed to be available throughout the hotel. Access can be purchased at the front desk through the purchase of either:

24 Hour one day unlimited use pass - costs £15 pounds at front desk
One day - 90 minutes of internet use pass - costs £8 pounds at front desk

This same access can also be purchased in advance directly from BT Openzone (www.btopenzone.com) at a reduced cost. BT Openzone also offers additional packages which may be desired. Main plans are:

24 Hour one day unlimited use pass - costs £9.99 pounds over Internet
One day - 90 minutes of internet use pass - costs £5.99 pounds over Internet
5 continuous days - 2000 minutes total of internet use pass - costs £26.99 pounds over Internet

We also had some helpful parents do some research, and in checking with The Cumberland about computer access they did confirm they have public computers available in the business lounge with is located off the main lobby. However, these computers are only for accessing the internet and in order to use them you do need to have a WiFi access pass. In other words, students should not count on these computers being available to them for 'free internet' use.

Seven

2010-12-18T15:36:00.002-06:00

Thanks to all our family and friends who came out to cheer for us on Saturday. It was a cold rehearsal outside, but warmly exhilarating inside as we performed for our supporters!
No more announcements for today ... just enjoy the pictures!

Getting Ready to Go!

2010-12-18T14:01:00.003-06:00

The excitement in the air was palpable today. Despite everyone's exhaustion from the last week of school, the band was fired up and ready to work as rehearsal started! Even though it was cold (really, really cold), the excitement about our imminent departure certainly warmed our chilly fingers and toes. As you might have been able to tell, we began rehearsal this morning by marching from North to Herrick and back again. Ignoring a few...minor...mishaps (a wonky bass drum carrier here, frozen trumpet valves there...) the marching practice went very well, getting us used to the temperatures in London, as well as teaching us the properties of cold metal. After marching and having a logistical meeting, we moved to the Field House for what was definitely the most exciting part of rehearsal: showing off to our parents! We spent the last bit of rehearsal working out some of the kinks in our TV zone show, then ran it through a couple of times for our family and friends. It was amazing to finally have a full audience to perform for, and the band certainly sounded way better than we did outside. It finally hit home today that we're actually going to London - the days can't pass quickly enough!

Saturday Practice Plan

2010-12-17T18:10:00.000-06:00

9:45 am - 9:55 am - Students report.

10 am - 11 am - Weather permitting, outdoor practice/marching. (Dress for the very cold weather. Bring your BLACK marching band gloves, plus any glove liners or hand warmers you wish. We want you to experience playing in these temperatures with the uniform gloves.)

11 am - 11:30 am - Tour meeting (students and staff) in the band room.

11:30 am - 12:30 pm - Final TV Zone work in Field House.

12:30 pm - 1 pm - Final run of TV Zone performance for family/friends. ABC-7 TV is scheduled to be on site to film.

1 pm - Final announcements & Instrument packing

*** Brass players, especially, are encouraged to use Chapstick (or similar) on lips tomorrow. We don't want anyone's lips frozen to a metal mouthpiece. :-)

Eight

2010-12-17T10:43:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we promised to share some reminders and clarification about luggage/bag requirements.

Please remember that students and chaperones are restricted to ONE suitcase or duffel bag (50 lbs. & 62” limit) and ONE carry-on bag (45” limit). Size is calculated by adding the length, width and height (in inches).

Students assigned to 'carry on' their instrument should - when possible - put the instrument inside the carry on bag. This will be easiest for flutes and some oboe and clarinet cases. When not possible, students may carry their instrument and one reasonably sized carry on bag (i.e. back-pack).

It is critically important that you pre-weigh your checked bag to ensure that it does not exceed the 50 lb. limit. If a bag is found to be over the 50 lb. limit at the time of airport check-in, the tour participant will be responsible for paying all incurred overage fees.

One final set of reminders (for today) regarding packing: Wind Ensemble students are reminded that, in addition to their marching band uniform, they must also pack their 'concert black' attire. Ladies: either black pants, or a skirt or dress that comes well below the knees when seated. If you choose to wear a skirt or dress, please wear black nylons. Men: don't forget to pack that black bow tie! All Wind Ensemble members: it is your responsibility to pack your black music binder with your concert sheet music in plastic sleeves. This must be packed in your suitcase.

Nine

2010-12-16T15:03:00.000-06:00

Nine days to go. Nine reminders and updates:

Students pack their own uniforms in their own suitcase. Saturday, at the end of rehearsal, is the final opportunity to take your uniform home if you have not done so already. Remember to pack the uniform in the garment bag, with the hanger. Fold the bag just once in half, and lay the uniform neatly into your luggage.
Shakos are also packed in your suitcase. Students must take the shako home on Saturday at the conclusion of practice. Transport the shako to and from school in the black hat-box, but leave the hat box at home during the tour. Stuff socks/t-shirts in and around the shako to protect it. (We are shipping our plumes for the shakos; students need not pack the plume.)
Polish & clean your black shoes!!! Make them shine before we leave for London!
You are not responsible for packing your DGN band storm-coat in your suitcase. These will be boxed and shipped in advance for you.
Each band member will be given a surprise 'Mystery Gift' on Saturday at the end of practice. Please make sure you pack it for London!!
Make certain your bag's dimensions and weight fall within airline guidelines. These were published in the materials shared at our October parent meeting. (More about this, and carry-on bags, tomorrow.)
The 'Preview Performance' for parents will take place at 12:30 pm on Saturday, in the Field House. Parents/family/friends are asked to park in the Main St. lot, enter DGN through the Main St. arch, turn right, and proceed to the Field House. Doors to Main St. will open at 12:15 pm.
After the preview performance we will work collaboratively at 1 pm to pack and stage instruments that are being shipped in advance. This includes school owned large instruments, as well as personal large instruments. Students are encouraged to bring extra t-shirts to add additional padding to their instrument cases. Students may not leave DGN on Saturday until they have placed their instrument in the staging area, and the appropriate UPS label has been affixed to the case. In most cases this will not be a long process, but please be patient as Mr. Miller navigates and coordinates this important work.
If you still need to have your uniform cleaned, please use only one of the two authorized cleaners:

Crystal Dry Cleaners – 4947 Main St., in Downers Grove. They are located just across the street from Starbucks, and near the DG Train station. Their special price for cleaning the full uniform: $8.00 for all three pieces (pants/jacket/cape).
Sparkleen Cleaners – 5107 Fairview Ave., in Downers Grove. They are located next to the 7-11 on Fairview, near the Fairview Train station. Their special price for cleaning the full uniform: $10.00 for all three pieces (pants/jacket/cape).
*** Please do not take the uniform to any other cleaner. We are confident that these two cleaners use the needed chemical process to protect the garments.

Count "Down - ing"

2010-12-15T23:43:00.000-06:00

10 days to go! The final countdown has begun. To honor the number ten, here's a picture of the most famous door in the world with the number '10' on it. Do you know the street name and who lives behind this door? We'll give you a hint: we've now begun a count - down ... ing.

Final Itinerary LIVE on Google Calendar

2010-12-15T15:41:00.001-06:00

We are pleased to announce that our final itinerary is now loaded into Google Calendar. Families (or even tour participants) may subscribe to the tour calendar by navigating to the calendar window on the right side of this blog, and clicking on the "+Google Calendar" button.

Please note that all times for events that take place in Europe are input in the local time-zone for London, England, which will make them appear six hours earlier than you would expect to see them if you are viewing the calendar from the United States.

For helpful tips to get started using Google Calendar, click here.

We have made certain that the language in this calendar matches exactly with the printed itinerary that students will be handed when they arrive at the hotel.

We encourage students and staff that use Google Calendar on a portable device (i.e. iPhone, iPod Touch, Android phone, etc.) to subscribe!

Final Practice - Saturday - CORRECTED time frame

2010-12-14T13:47:00.000-06:00

Our final practice for the tour is this Saturday, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

The start time of this practice was announced earlier this fall as 10 a.m. In a recent piece of correspondence we inadvertently stated the rehearsal begins at 11 a.m.

This communication is to confirm the practice on Saturday morning does indeed begin at 10 a.m.

Parents/family/friends are invited to the Field House at 12:30 p.m. for the final 30 minutes. We will be doing our final run-throughs of our TV Zone choreography.

Monday Night Practice

2010-12-12T20:27:00.001-06:00

Monday night's practice (6-8 pm) will be in the Field House. Due to the predicted temperatures we will not march outside.

15 days!

2010-12-10T20:40:00.000-06:00

15 days and counting!!

Have you identified your luggage, and made sure it meets the size/weight requirements?
Have you started setting out your clothes?
Have you polished your marching band shoes? (Have you found your shoes?!)
Have you fully memorized your music?
Have you signed the signature page in your Passport?
Have you had your uniform dry cleaned?

This is getting exciting, isn't it?

Only two more rehearsals to go: This coming Monday from 6 - 8 pm, and our final practice on Saturday, December 18th (11 am - 1 pm with a "preview show" for family & friends in the Field House at 12:30 pm).

If the track is clear of snow on Monday night, we will spend time outside conditioning our bodies for the cold and building endurance. As always, come with appropriate clothing. We will wear Shakos outside (but not the rest of the uniform).

Oh the weather outside was frightful ...

2010-12-04T17:01:00.001-06:00

... but the work ethic inside was delightful.

Dress (Warm) Rehearsal This Saturday!

2010-12-01T15:11:00.000-06:00

For this Saturday's 8-10am rehearsal we will be marching on the streets adjacent to North High School IN FULL UNIFORM. This will be a great opportunity to double check the fit of all uniforms as well as to "test drive" any warm layers that students are planning to wear under their uniforms for the London performance.

If students have brought their uniforms home to be cleaned or packed, they will need to bring them back to the rehearsal on Saturday. This includes marching band shoes! All students should arrive at North ready to change into uniforms right away so we can begin rehearsal outside shortly after 8am. The "Loading Dock" doors leading to the band room (by the football field) will be open by 7:45am on Saturday. Students are encouraged to wear the warm layers that they plan on wearing under the uniforms for the actual London performance.

The weather forecast for Saturday is cold with a chance of snow. This will give us a good opportunity to experience what our weather may be like in London! In the event of rain, students should still bring their uniforms for a uniform inspection, but we will not rehearse in the uniforms outside in the rain.

Finally, we would like to encourage our band families to: 1) Ask your student to play their finale music for you to check their memorization and 2) Come out and cheer the band on if we end up parading past your house on Saturday!

Wind Ensemble students work with Daniel Farris of Northwestern University

2010-11-30T22:26:00.002-06:00

In preparation for the Wind Ensemble's performance at Cadogan Hall in London, England, DGN welcomed Daniel Farris (Northwestern University Bienen School of Music) as a guest clinician. Professor Farris worked with students on three of the four compositions that will be performed in London on December 29th.

Letter to DGN Band from Governor Quinn

2010-11-30T05:46:00.000-06:00

Wind Ensemble Live from Cadogan Hall!

2010-11-29T23:03:00.000-06:00

We recently learned that the Wednesday, December 29th "Music For London" Gala Concert will be broadcast live from Cadogan Hall, and may be seen via the concert hall's website. www.cadoganhall.com.

That means family and friends of the DGN Band can 'tune in' back home and watch/listen as our Wind Ensemble performs from this historic concert venue.

The concert begins at 7:30 pm (London time) which will be 1:30 pm CST. If you are interested in this broadcast, we suggest you check out the concert hall's website 24-36 hours in advance for updated links and instructions about how to stream the concert on your computer.

TV Zone Prep

2010-11-26T00:14:00.000-06:00

We are missing some paperwork from some of you ...

2010-11-24T12:56:00.000-06:00

This notice is intended as a confirmation (for most) that we have all needed legal paperwork for the tour. It is also intended as an alert for others that we are missing information, and need it immediately.

If your name (your child's name) is on the list below, please submit the required paperwork to our Fine Arts Office next Monday, November 29th. Thank you for attending to this important need.

Need copy of both sides of INSURANCE CARD:

Allen, Ryan

Barker, Richard

Brashler, Susanne

Broholm, Brandon

Burkiewicz, Erick

Camacho, Esther (AND MEDICAL FORM)

Ford, Ryan

Gibbons, Mandy

Hsu, Michelle

Jaimes, Alexandra

Klemp, Allyson

Kirkegaard, Marie

Lilja, Carly

Martin, Perry

Nojiri, Carolyn

Pacheco, Joseph

Shadle, Rita

Simmons, Marckus

Walter, Lee

Wayman-Dodd

Yadgir, Paul

Missing FRONT PAGE OF AGREEMENT:

Camacho, Esther (ENTIRE AGREEMENT)

Rabinak, Matthew

Stevenson, Isaac

Next Monday's practice - what you'll need

2010-11-23T05:56:00.000-06:00

We will spend a portion of our November 29th practice, as an ensemble, checking memorization and reviewing the Grand Finale music. Students: please make sure you put your sheet music for the Grand Finale in your case before coming to the rehearsal on Nov. 29th. You will need your sheet music at this rehearsal, and because we know you are using it at home as you memorize these pieces, we wanted to send you a reminder note to bring it with you.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

There really is 'An App For That'

2010-11-18T08:40:00.000-06:00

Do you use a 'Smart Phone' to keep track of your busy life? You can now use your iPhone or Android phone to quickly access our London Tour Blog. It's a very handy way to quickly check-in on the most recent posts and information about the band's upcoming tour. While the tour is in progress, it will be the fastest way to "follow" the band from home.

How do you do it? Using the web browser on your smart phone, type in the following URL:

http://m.wbx.me/london2011

Once you access the page you can either 'Add to Homescreen' (iPhone) or add a Bookmark or Widget (Android). Then you are good to go. The latest London news is only a few clicks away!

Looking for Students to join the "Blog Team!"

2010-11-17T20:40:00.000-06:00

We are now accepting applications from students who have an interest in being 'official' student bloggers during our London tour.

Requirements & Considerations

* the student is interested in writing personal reflections about their tour experience, and posting those reflections to our London Tour Blog. These posts may start as early as one week before departure, and continue through the band's return from Europe.

* the student is interested in reporting on the activities of the tour group, both through written reports and digital pictures.

* (not required) the student has access to a laptop computer or tablet device that is Internet wi-fi compatible and they would be willing to travel with this device on the tour.

* the student is willing to sign a "DGN Fine Arts Digital Media Policy" that sets specific guidelines for appropriately reporting on the Blog.

Students who are interested should apply via the following web link by Monday, November 22. Mr. Teague and Mr. Miller will review applications over the Thanksgiving Break and announce the names of those on the 'Blog Team' in early December.

Click HERE to apply!

London Marching Practice Monday Night

2010-11-14T20:54:00.001-06:00

London participants are reminded that we have REQUIRED marching practices each of the next three Monday nights remaining in November, plus practices on December 4, 13 and 18.

Students should dress for both indoor and outdoor practice. Check the weather forecast.

*** Students will wear their SHAKO hat during Monday night's practice (to get used to performing with it on). If the shako is at home, it should be brought back to DGN at 6 pm for the practice). ***

Monday, November 15^th / 6-8 pm (Marching practice – Track & Field House)
Monday, November 22^nd / 6-8 pm (Marching practice – Track & Field House)
Monday, November 29^th / 6-8 pm (Marching practice – Track & Field House)
Saturday, December 4^th / 8-10 am (Marching practice – Track & DG Streets)
Monday, December 13^th / 6-8 pm (Marching practice – Track & Field House)
Saturday, December 18^th / 10 am – 1 pm (Final Marching Practice)

Briefs: Downers Grove North Band near fundraising goal - Downers Grove Sun

2010-11-13T21:40:00.000-06:00

Briefs: Downers Grove North Band near fundraising goal - Downers Grove Sun

Itinerary Updated

2010-11-12T06:46:00.000-06:00

For the first time, in many years, Buckingham Palace scheduled the "Changing of the Guard" (which contrary to popular belief does not happen every day) for December 29th, rather than December 28th. We had been scheduled to see that ceremony on December 28th, so we have adjusted our itinerary to allow for our group to see the "Changing of the Guard" on December 29th. We have moved the Windsor Castle Tour (scheduled for Dec. 29th, up one day to Dec. 28th.)

An updated itinerary may be found using the link on the right hand side of the Tour Blog. We will continue to keep this link actively updated if any other changes are made.

The Google Calendar (which you can subscribe to) has also been updated to reflect this change.

Uniform Fitting For Sports Exemption Students

2010-11-09T08:01:00.000-06:00

Any student that has not been assigned a uniform for our upcoming tour should report to the Band Room at 5:15 on Wednesday evening before our 6-8pm music rehearsal to be fitted for one.

T-shirts / luggage tags / backpack pick up begins Monday!

2010-11-05T09:29:00.001-05:00

Beginning Monday, November 8th, tour participants may pick up their t-shirt, luggage tags, and back-pack from the bookstore before school, after school or during lunch. All items will be bundled together inside the purple back-pack. Parents, you are asked to please assure that your student brings all of these items home, and that all items are accounted for. (1 shirt, 1 back-pack, and 3 luggage tags.)

Students should show the ticket that we provided at the meeting, or they may show a photo ID. Either is acceptable.

We have had several parents contact us to say that their child's t-shirt size is not accurate. We posted a list of the sizes we had registered in our data base in the band room, and asked students to confirm their size. We announced this several times in class, posted signs, and gave students over a week to confirm. We then placed our order based on that information. Students must pick up the size that was ordered for them. If there is a significant size problem, the student may speak to Mr. Teague about a trade, but this will be considered only after all shirts have been distributed. (We have a very limited number of extra shirts in any given size, so no promises.) If the shirt is just a little too small, or a little too big, students will need to keep the size that was ordered for them. Thank you for your understanding.

We missed at least five of you ...

2010-10-31T20:28:00.000-05:00

Thanks to those who signed up for their Dec. 31st tour option.

There were FIVE persons who went home, immediately after our meeting, and filled out the online form that very night (last Wed. night). Thanks for being so pompt! Unfortunately, we had a glitch with our Google form that night, and we did not record the NAMES of those first five participants who signed up. So, if you were one of the people who signed up right after the meeting (or you think you might have been), please return to the form link and fill it out one more time in it's entirety.

Anyone who filled out the form beginning on Thursday, October 28th, is fine.

If you didn't fill out the form yet at all ... this is your last chance!! We will be ordering tickets on Tuesday for those attractions that require a ticket.

Contribute to our Band's "In Flight Magazine!"

2010-10-30T12:39:00.001-05:00

Hey London Tour Participants!

Here are all the details on how to contribute to our DGN Band in-flight magazine:

-The articles can be related to London, but they don't have to be.

-Try to write the articles in the style of The Onion (so witty, satiric, and comical ... but of course school appropriate!)

-ALL submissions (articles, comics, graphics, games, etc.) need to be submitted by November 24!

-e-mail your submissions to Kirsten Keller (kkel2531@csd99.org) or Jim Blair (jbla1317@csd99.org ).

-Submissions may or may not be accepted subject to space and content.

Thanks everyone and have fun with this!!

Jim and Kirsten

Deadline to choose your supplemental tour is Saturday, Oct. 30!

2010-10-29T21:01:00.000-05:00

Student participants: Don't forget to fill out the online survey to pick your Dec. 31st morning activity! If you do not pick an activity this weekend, one will be picked for you ...

Click here.

Meeting Follow-Up: Questions & Answers!

2010-10-28T14:13:00.000-05:00

You had questions ... we have answers!

Thank you for taking a few moments to read and digest this follow up information to last night's tour meeting. We hope this clarifies a few points that may have not been clear, and also offers some supplemental information about uniform cleaning, etc.

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

Why are there TWO “Music For London” Concerts listed on the itinerary?

Great question. The first concert listed (December 29^th at Cadogan Hall) is the concert that will feature our Wind Ensemble. (Symphonic Band and Concert Band students will listen as supportive audience members at this concert). The second concert listed (December 30^th at St. John’s Smith Square) is a different gala concert that we will all attend to listen as a part of the audience. Tours of this kind provide wonderful opportunities to hear other outstanding music groups, and we are pleased to be able to attend. Attire for these concerts (when not performing) is 'Smart Casual,' meaning either khaki pants and a dress shirt, or nice jeans and a dress shirt.

Where did you say we could find the audio files of the music we are supposed to be practicing at home?

Right here: http://london2011.blogspot.com/2010/10/london-music-grand-finale-please-read.html

I’ve misplaced the sheet music I was given of the music we are supposed to be practicing at home. Where can I get copies?

"Grand Finale" parts may be found right here: http://www.box.net/shared/c7kq6m8dst

"Any Way You Want It" parts may be found right here: http://www.box.net/shared/gslujxpq9p

What are the benefits of using a Visabuxx Debit Card (or similar) on the tour?

Had we not been running a bit behind schedule last night, we would have taken a little more time to explain the benefits of these cards, and the challenges that are inherent in using ‘travelers checks’ on a tour of this kind. We request that families use these debit/credit cards on the tour. In addition to being able to withdraw cash from ATM machines, these cards can be used – typically – at any store or restaurant that accepts Visa. Exchange rates are very competitive, and it’s just easy to manage your funds in this way. ‘Travelers checks’ are increasingly a challenge to cash; please avoid bringing them.

I heard that we might be getting a DGN back-pack to use on the tour. Is that true?

It is true! Some students already have one (either from Homecoming last year, or B2B Leadership training earlier this fall). But every tour participant will receive a DGN draw-string back-pack. You are invited to bring this on the trip to use on touring days to carry your belongings. Of course, you will want to identify the bag with a name tag of some kind, because yours will look just like 180 others! Our current plan is to hand students these bags when they pick up their tour t-shirts from the bookstore next week.

I don’t have a Marching Band uniform checked out to me yet. When will I get it?

Stay tuned for details. Mr. Miller will be announcing the check-out/fitting process for our Fall Sports Exemption students in the very near future. Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten you!

Tell me more about the New Year’s Eve Party, please. What should we wear?

The New Year’s Eve Party is currently scheduled for our hotel. There will be six bands attending in total. Dress can be 'Smart Casual' (nice jeans and a nice shirt), but it could also be a little dressier, if you want to ‘celebrate’ in slightly fancier clothes. We have been told that most students dress casually, but some bands come in dressier clothing. We would suggest something middle of the road. (No prom dresses please!)

You said “avoid jeans and tennis shoes” when we go to the theatre. What should we wear?

For men, nice pants, and a dress shirt would be appropriate. Tie optional. For ladies, nice pants and a blouse/dress shirt would be fine. A skirt would also be very appropriate, as would a dress.

I thought I read somewhere there would be an opportunity to visit Abbey Road Studios, but it was not listed on the survey for Dec. 31^st events. What’s up?

On the afternoon of Dec. 31^st (after the various morning activities) students will have time to browse stores/shop on Oxford Street in small groups. During that time, if students are interested, there will be a chance to take the Underground to Abbey Road Studios to see where the Beatles did much of their studio recordings. This is NOT a studio tour ... but it is a fun place to take pictures. There is no need to pre-register for this. We will determine how many students are interested in this option once we are on the ground in London. Students who do choose to go may need to add a little bit of money to their Oyster Card for the additional trip on ‘the tube.’

My marching band uniform smelled better at the beginning of the season, and could use a good cleaning! I’d like to take it to a cleaner. May I? Anything special I should know?

We would welcome and encourage an extra cleaning before we depart, and since you are packing your own uniform for the trip, this is relatively easy to accomplish. Students may take their uniform home (in the garment bag) any time, beginning next week.

It is important, however, that the cleaner be pre-selected by our Department. We have had some challenges with the dye bleeding in these uniforms, and so we have to verify that the cleaner uses a specific chemical process. If you would like to take your uniform to be cleaned, please use either:

Crystal Dry Cleaners – 4947 Main St., in Downers Grove. They are located just across the street from Starbucks, and near the DG Train station. Their special price for cleaning the full uniform: $8.00 for all three pieces (pants/jacket/cape).

Sparkleen Cleaners – 5107 Fairview Ave., in Downers Grove. They are located next to the 7-11 on Fairview, near the Fairview Train station. Their special price for cleaning the full uniform: $10.00 for all three pieces (pants/jacket/cape).

*** Please do not take the uniform to any other cleaner. We are confident that these two cleaners use the needed chemical process to protect the garments.

If you choose to have your uniform cleaned, we encourage you to do this in November or early December to avoid a ‘rush’ by band members close to departure day. You may then keep your uniform at home until you pack for the trip. We simply ask that it remain hanging neatly at all times.

Supplemental Tour Survey - Due Oct. 30

2010-10-27T23:43:00.000-05:00

Tour participants are reminded they must register choice for a December 31st activity by clicking on the following website:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHFRcHNHWVVSSTlEaFItUnJLc0ptRHc6MQ

Copy of Medical Insurance Card Needed on October 27

2010-10-20T09:17:00.000-05:00

Parents/guardians are asked to please bring a photocopy of the FRONT and BACK of your tour participant's medical insurance card on Wednesday, October 27th. It is required that we have a copy of the card on file.

As a reminder, parents may fill out the required Medical Form and Travel Agreement in advance of the meeting, and then simply bring the completed paperwork to the October 27th meeting. We suggest you at least review the form before coming to the meeting so that you have all the necessary medical information, physician phone numbers, etc. to properly fill out the forms. The link to these forms follows ...

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

Medical Form & Travel Agreement

2010-10-16T15:45:00.000-05:00

One of the documents families will be asked to fill out at the required meeting on October 27th may be found in advance at the link provided below. We would encourage families to review this document prior to the meeting to be sure you have all of the needed information with you at the meeting to complete the form.

Alternatively, families may print out this form at home in advance of the meeting, complete it at home, and bring the completed forms to the meeting on October 27th.

We hope that providing access to this document in advance will make the task of completing the needed medical information easier for your family.

The .PDF version of this form may be found here for download.

Land of Hope and Glory - Last Night of the Proms 2009

2010-10-13T22:46:00.001-05:00

"Land of Hope and Glory" is performed annually to close the famous Proms concerts in England. DGN London Tour participants are encoruaged to watch this video clip from the 2009 Proms to gain a better understanding of how this piece of music by Edward Elgar resonates in the hearts of the Brittish.