Hello All!
Yesterday's dress rehearsals and baggage check went on without any hitches. The VR Bands and Choirs have been working very hard this year and are excited to finally take our performances on the road.
This morning started early...very early, like 5:15AM early. Everyone started to stroll in around 5AM - bleary eyed, dragging their feet (and heavy backpacks) int o the auditorium where the lights were dimly lit to help ease the students into the long, long day.
Attendance was taken, carryon baggage checked, instruments and baggage loaded and finally, it was time for the students to race to the busses for prime seating - but not before some words of advice from Mr. Talmadge. He gave us his top 10 words of wisdom from his many years as a band director n New Mexico and at Valley Regional. His number one..."I hope you all break a leg." Good advice for musicians and actors...but really though, it's ok. We departed Deep River about 7:50AM and have been driving ever since. The Peter Pan busses are very nice and are equipped with all things a kid could ever dream of...on a coach bus at least - Wifi and electrical outlets (except for Bus 3...no wifi for you!). Back in my day...we were lucky to have air conditioning that worked and a bathroom that didn't overflow.
We hit some traffic through New Haven, Bridgeport and Greenwich. We finally made it to the NY and NJ borders and just stopped for a lunch/bathroom break on the Jersey Turnpike. As we pulled up, the all familiar green lady of Starbucks appeared over the horizon of the bus windshield. The doors opened and they were off...to Starbucks! Besides coffee, kids got food from the various vendors. The kids had 40 minutes for lunch (which is 20 more minutes than we get at Valley) and now we're back on the busses with an ETA of 3:00 in the Inner Harbor.
First stop, National Aquarium of Baltimore. After, we'll stop for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe and then it's to the hotel for check-in and maybe some rehearsals. More updates later.
-KLAM
Yesterday's dress rehearsals and baggage check went on without any hitches. The VR Bands and Choirs have been working very hard this year and are excited to finally take our performances on the road.
This morning started early...very early, like 5:15AM early. Everyone started to stroll in around 5AM - bleary eyed, dragging their feet (and heavy backpacks) int o the auditorium where the lights were dimly lit to help ease the students into the long, long day.
Attendance was taken, carryon baggage checked, instruments and baggage loaded and finally, it was time for the students to race to the busses for prime seating - but not before some words of advice from Mr. Talmadge. He gave us his top 10 words of wisdom from his many years as a band director n New Mexico and at Valley Regional. His number one..."I hope you all break a leg." Good advice for musicians and actors...but really though, it's ok. We departed Deep River about 7:50AM and have been driving ever since. The Peter Pan busses are very nice and are equipped with all things a kid could ever dream of...on a coach bus at least - Wifi and electrical outlets (except for Bus 3...no wifi for you!). Back in my day...we were lucky to have air conditioning that worked and a bathroom that didn't overflow.
We hit some traffic through New Haven, Bridgeport and Greenwich. We finally made it to the NY and NJ borders and just stopped for a lunch/bathroom break on the Jersey Turnpike. As we pulled up, the all familiar green lady of Starbucks appeared over the horizon of the bus windshield. The doors opened and they were off...to Starbucks! Besides coffee, kids got food from the various vendors. The kids had 40 minutes for lunch (which is 20 more minutes than we get at Valley) and now we're back on the busses with an ETA of 3:00 in the Inner Harbor.
First stop, National Aquarium of Baltimore. After, we'll stop for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe and then it's to the hotel for check-in and maybe some rehearsals. More updates later.
-KLAM