[ STUDENT BLOGS ]
Ensemble in Europe
The Friends University Jazz Ensemble I will spend several weeks in July travelling through France and Italy, playing at several jazz festivals. This adventure is an opporunity for the students to share their musical gifts, but it also allows them to learn more about the places they visit and the people they meet along the way.
Nathan Hittle: July 18, 2008
In the past few days, we have preformed at the Jazz-a-Juan festival in Juan Les Pins twice and traveled to Nice and Antibes. The audiences in Italy and France have both been fantastic, but the French audiences are especially attentive. The band is playing extraordinarily well, and we always enjoy communicating to our foreign audience through music. Our jazz combo, SOULstice, recently recorded a CD which has been selling like hotcakes. I am excited when I think that even after we travel home, people will be enjoying our music halfway around the world! It is safe to say that Friends University Jazz now has a fan base in Europe!
The historical tour through Antibes was fascinating. Our tour guide, Cecilia, explained that its location once marked the border between Italy and France and provided a defensive post against foreign invaders. The city has been in existence since the Roman Empire, with each successive era leaving its own historical remnants behind for us to observe and study. Roman ruins, churches from the Middle Ages and modern markets all contribute to the wonderful atmosphere of Antibes.
Nice was very different from Antibes, but no less enjoyable. The 8 kilometer long beech, constructed by the British, is a sight to behold. The water is sparkling blue and stretches on for as far as the eye can see. A few in our group acquired sunburns as they swam in the Mediterranean, but I just decided to quickly dip my feet in instead! I did however board a train that traveled through the historical district of Nice and atop a hill overlooking the city and the beach. What a view!
I can’t believe it, but today is the last full day of our adventure in Europe. Over the past week, we have played great music, seen important historical sites and enjoyed several beautiful beaches. Each part of the trip has been unique in its own special way, and my only regret is that I haven’t had more time to explore what France and Italy have to offer. I guess I’ll just have to come back!
Nathan Nonhof: July 18, 2008
Hey everyone! This is Nathan Nonhof reporting for duty. We’ve officially been across the pond for a full week now, and I’m having a great time. The first few days were a bit of a mild stressor because I didn’t have my luggage until Thursday. Other than that, there wasn’t much I could do except take it in stride. Now it’s here, and everything is running smoothly, so no worries.
Over all I would have to say one of my favorite things about this trip is the way the crowds react to what we play. It’s really a great feeling. Also, I spent the last two afternoons on the beach just kind of hanging out and diving into waves. That in itself was one of my favorite parts, just because the views into the distance are almost unreal, and the water is a deep clear blue.
Yesterday, we started off the day by going on a walking tour through the harbor city of Juan le Pins. I loved walking through the city because it was like walking back in time. The city was very medieval. It has a thick stone wall around the city, witch sits above the water a bit, and a really cool fortress/castle across the harbor. So we spent the morning there, bought lunch in the market and headed out to Valbonne so we could perform. We spent the afternoon walking the city streets, or in my case on in the sand, popping into shops and enjoying the views of the ocean. After our concert, we got to go watch Keith Jarrett. The concert was good, but I couldn’t help laughing at times because … well, let’s say he’s a bit eccentric!
Overall I’ve been having a blast and can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings. I think the group as a whole is really growing, so I’m looking forward to what it may do in the near future. Well, that’s what’s going on with me, so thanks for reading. Over and out.
Aaron Sullard: July 18, 2008
Hi everyone! This is Aaron Sullard, and I want to share just a little synopsis of what today has brought for me on the Friends University Jazz Europe Tour. Waking up this morning felt, strangely, just like a Saturday morning at home. I woke up tired and exhausted even after nine hours of sleep.
I turned off my alarm, got ready, and headed over to another campus building where the jazz band would be meeting with an amazing French music educator, whom I had the great privilege of meeting the day before. Frederic, a.k.a. Freddy, spoke to us about the history of jazz in France. I found everything he said to be quite interesting. He talked about everything from the origin of the word jazz to the first jazz teacher in France. At the end of our meeting, Freddy and our own Nathan Hittle played a piano jazz-off. Both played magnificently.
Once the jazz-off ended, our coach departed the campus and drove to Nice, France, for a couple hours of leisure time. On our arrival, the whole band walked down to the beach for Lisa to take some full-band pictures. Afterward, several of us went to lunch with the dean, Dr. Kyle Usrey. We ate crepes and talked about the goings on of the trip so far.
After lunch, I headed to the beach with a few of the guys to swim and tan. After going back to the bus, we traveled to Antibes for our second to last performance in Europe. I’d say it went better than any of them so far. For dinner, the band ate backstage of the main stage in Juan le Pins. Bill Wyman, from the Rolling Stones, was supposed to be there, but never showed up. After dinner we headed back to our dorms.
I got to call my parents for the first time tonight and surprised myself at how happy I was to hear their voices after a week away from home. I didn’t hear too much news about what’s going on the in the States, but I’ll get to hear all about it in a couple days.
Kyle Wheatley: July 15, 2008
After leaving the beautiful city of Rome, rushing to Petrigano, finally getting my bags and our first performance, we get a little time to relax and after a nice little breakfast we did just that. There is nothing more relaxing than a nice dip in the pool at the hotel at 9 a.m.! Needless to say it was a bit chilly at first but once we got in and started playing Marco Polo, it didn’t seem so cold.
We then traveled to Assisi where St. Francis is from. On the bus ride up. our tour guide Nathalie talked to us about St. Francis’ life and some of the things that earned his sainthood. We walked thru the Basilica and its two churches and went to the crypt to see the tomb where St. Francis is buried, and I have to say it is surreal. After just recently walking thru the crypt at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican and seeing where Pope John Paul and St. Peter are, it really opens your eyes to some of the amazing things we’ve seen. Once we were done with the basilica, some of us went higher into the hillside town and just experience some of the Italian people.
Next we traversed back down one hill and up the next to beautiful Perugia again. We had free time for a while to experience the town and the Umbria Jazz Fest. A group of us went to see the Bill Frissell Trio a few hours before our concert that night. The theater the concert was in was beautiful. It was a small old opera house, and I could just imagine in the earlier days the types of amazing performances that went on. The concert was quite unique but still very good. After that we had our last performance at the jazz fest, and it went really well again. The crowd loved it too. The people here have quite a respect for music, as we played different styles within the jazz spectrum.
Once we were done with the concert, I walked around with some friends, just listening to some jazz and hanging out. We were there until 11 p.m. and went back down the hill to our beautiful hotel in Petrigano. We got some much-needed rest after another full day of fun in Italy.
Ryan Royle: July 15, 2008
Well, this is day three on our journey; and needless to say, with each day that passes, what we experience becomes more and more amazing. From traversing the streets of Rome and being immersed in history to the hill towns of Perugia and Petrigano, there isn’t a shortage of beautiful sights. All you can really do is just sit back, relax, and take it all in.
Today, we spent the morning in the hill city of Assisi, which was only a few kilometers from Petrigano, the town we stayed in for a couple of nights. Assisi was the home of St. Francis, the monk who founded the Franciscan order. We got the chance to visit the St. Francis Basilica, which rivaled the beauty of St. Peter’s in its simplicity.
The Basilica was divided into two levels, the priore and inferiore. The priore, which was the upper level, was more ornate in the style of the other churches of the time. But, since St. Francis and the Franciscan monks were bound to vows of poverty, they felt that it was too pretty for a church, and built the inferiore level as a plainer place of worship. Despite their efforts to create an environment that reflected poverty as there offering of worship, the lower level still was beautiful in its own right. The lowest level contained the tomb of St. Francis. Many people visit his tomb to pray and ask for blessings over their children. Lots of pictures of loved ones were laid at the foot of the tomb. It was an incredible experience to experience all this history of the church first hand.
After leaving the Basilica, several of us jogged up the steep streets to explore some more of this city on a hill. There were many shops containing all kinds of goods, one in particular that sold wine, olive oil, and basalmic vinegar made from the gardens and vineyards in the hillside farms just outside of Assisi. The shopkeep explained the differences among brands and makes of oil and even offered samples. He was very proud of the product that his fellow Italians produced and even swore by it as the best we’d ever find. After tasting it, I would’ve sworn by it too!
By this time, we had to hustle down the hill back to the bus to head back to Perugia and prepare for our next performance. That day we got a double dose of the Italian culture, with the older more traditional setting that morning, and later that day in Perugia the more modern but still classic vibe from the town filled with jazzers.
Same Hake: July 14, 2008
Today is Monday, July 14. We spent the morning in Rome, and I visited St. Peter’s Basilica. It was very breathtaking! The architecture and statues are quite enormous and tower over the square in front of the basilica. Inside the church, many past popes are buried including the late Pope John Paul II, whose grave I feel very fortunate to have viewed. The murals were so plentiful I didn’t even know which one to focus on. What an opportunity it was to visit St. Peter’s tomb.
Following our visit to the basilica, we made our way in the coach to Perugia, which is located in Umbria in the central part of Italy. The view from the front of the bus was great the whole two-hour drive, and we viewed many olive trees and sunflower fields, just like Kansas! The city of Perugia is a hilltop village that has many twists and turns and many great jazz fans. We performed in the Novembre Piazza with a view that included many old brick buildings. I couldn’t believe we were in Italy playing our music! It was such a blessing to share my gift with people from so many nationalities.
The days here seem to last a long time because we have so much to do and see. I’m just making all of the effort I can to soak it in. The smaller villages have lovely people that are very open to us and have made us feel quite welcome. Next time I visit Italy, I will hopefully stay two months!
Courtney Long: July 14, 2008
Today was pretty jam-packed. (No pun intended.) It started with an amazing breakfast at our hotel in Rome. Then, at 7:30 a.m., we were off into town again. We had the option of either going to St. Peter’s Basilica or to the Vatican. How do you make a decision like that? I guess neither one can be wrong! I was in the group that waited in line for the Vatican. It was a very long line, but it was well worth the wait. The architecture was amazing, and the artwork and detail inside (sculptures, tapestries, paintings, etc.) was absolutely incredible. The Sistine Chapel, something I was really anticipating, was overwhelming. I couldn’t believe we were actually standing under this masterpiece we have always learned about. To think about the history behind it, that Michelangelo actually created it so many years ago, was mind-blowing. Starting the day off like that might make the rest of it seem so anti-climactic, but it ended on an excellent note as well. (Okay, that pun was definitely intended.)
We left Rome around noon and headed to our hotel in Petrignano, which is very close to the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia. This drive through the Italian countryside was gorgeous and very picturesque, with the mountains, fields of sunflowers, and small hillside villages along the way. It looked just like the drives in the movie, “Under the Tuscan Sun.” Our hotel fit right in with that as well. This almost made us forget about our looming luggage fiasco. Almost. Someone was definitely watching over us, though; right before we left to play at Umbria, a van with our luggage arrived. We had a Plan B (Plan: “Soulstice”), but we did get to kick off our trip with what we had prepared for. The square where we played was near a fountain downtown, and there was a great crowd for us. They were very responsive, and even yelled for an encore. We were all happy with how we played, and realized that Scotty’s really big in Europe.
Josh Luton: July 12-13, 2008
So today has been pretty exciting. We stayed up all night last night to fight the jet lag for Rome, but things didn’t quite go as planned. Dane, Nathan Nonhof and I got to the Wichita airport at 5 a.m. to get ready for our flight that was supposed to leave at 6:10 a.m. Unfortunately there was really bad weather in Chicago and Wichita, so we couldn’t leave until 9:10 a.m.
We arrived in Chicago at O’Hare around 11:15 a.m. I slept through most of the plane ride, even though it was one of those small planes. Courtney, Kyle, Dane and I grabbed some lunch at the food court. We were supposed to leave Chicago at 12:45 p.m., but our flight was delayed until 1:25 p.m. … and then 1:45 p.m. … and we didn’t even leave until 2:30 p.m.
The flight to New York’s JFK was much nicer because it was a bigger plane, and the seats were much more comfortable. Dane met a really cool flight attendant named Steve from Tucson, Ariz. Steve was really nice and made the flight a lot of fun. It was cool to see the ocean and New York as we flew in to land at JFK. Once we landed at 4:45 p.m. we knew we would be cutting it close for our flight to Rome, which was supposed to leave at 5 p.m.; but the jet bridge was broken, and it took 30 minutes to fix it. Well, when we finally got off the plane at 5:40 p.m. we’d obviously missed our plane to Rome.
So the other group was en route to Rome, and we hung out in the JFK airport while they tried to get us another plane to Rome.
Finally at 9:20 p.m. we flew out of JFK on a 747. I was really worn out and slept the whole time, except for when I was woken up by food service. It was a choice of chicken or beef for dinner. and I went for the chicken and rice. It wasn’t too bad for airplane food. I was out, as I said, for most of the trip; and Courtney, Michael, Nathan, Professor Dan Racer and I had the front row of seats so we had a ton of leg room! We met some really nice British guys who were flying home after 7½ months of traveling the world. Dan was passed out asleep as soon as we got on the plane, and it was hilarious! The flight attendant tried to get him to put his TV down so we could take off, but he did not budge. We were all cracking up.
So, we got into Heathrow London airport at 9:15 a.m. this morning and had a layover until 12:40 p.m. I grabbed some espresso and a chicken salad sandwich and hung out until our flight left. We flew on British Airways to Rome and arrived early! Oh, and I forgot to mention that they had trouble with the jet bridge again in London. But, no trouble with the jet bridge in Rome, so good news there. We got off and went through Rome security with no trouble.
So, off to claim our luggage! Five minutes, no luggage … 10 minutes, no luggage … 15 minutes, no luggage … 20 minutes and everyone else on our flight except for the 11 of us was gone. As I write this we are sitting at passenger service hoping they can find our horns, bags, and the whole band’s music. After more than 24 hours of nothing but airports and airplanes, it was good to step foot on foreign soil.
When we got to the hotel, we had an awesome dinner and then went on a great night tour of Rome, led by the dean and our guide. It was a rough start, but the trip is getting better all the time. Rome at night was beautiful, and I’m sure it will only get better.
Caroline Reusser: July 12, 2008
We are now in Rome – 7 hours ahead of Wichita, 80 degrees F, and humid. Most of us have been up for about 1½ days now, headed toward two. As we drive from the airport, we are bombarded with new sights after noises after smells. This is all intensified with our jet lag, but we have a full day ahead of us, to make sure our bodies get accustomed to the new time zone. But this is not difficult, because we have a million things to see and do that we’ve been hearing about all our lives.
First we go to the Coliseum and get a guided tour from a short little bubbly woman. Then she takes us around the ruins, which pretty much cover a few blocks of that area. Each ruin is from a different time period and has its own intense, detailed story that our tour guide was sure to tell us. We get a drink of the running water well of Rome, the only well you can safely drink from in Italy. It was amazing to see the history we have learned about through our years; however, the amount of tourists made it difficult to visualize the scene and truly appreciate the history and culture, as we were continually surrounded by Americans.
When the second group finally comes in (you can read more about this issue in Josh’s blog), we sit down for our dinner, our five-course dinner. Italians can eat, and yet they are all skinny, tan and beautiful. We have decided this is because they walk everywhere, don’t use air conditioning to the max, and are more aware about what they eat.
So far this experience has been overwhelming. So much so that it is unreal and difficult for us to wrap our minds around. It is one thing to say we’re in Rome, and another to feel it. Seeing the culture is what I enjoy most. The Italians are friendly, while the towns are calm and sleepy, as they take many breaks and relaxing is their way of life. Already many of us are vowing to live here someday.
