December 31, 2018

The DGN Band - as well as our DGN "Fans" - spent the final day of 2018 touring Windsor Castle and Oxford University. 

We are excited for the parade tomorrow!

Happy Birthday Zach!

It's not only New Year's Eve ... but it's another DGN Band Birthday! 

Best birthday wishes are extended to Zach M!

December 30, 2018

Today the band made the pilgrimage to King's Cross Station in search of Platform 9 3/4 (Harry Potter), and found that hundreds of other tourists had the very same idea! While the lines were too long for individual photos, our most dedicated Harry Potter fans did find a way to manage a group photo.

The remainder of our day was spent at the National Gallery of Art, the British Museum, shopping & dinner at Covent Garden, a Leadership Workshop, and in our final rehearsal in preparation for New Year's Day.

DGN Band London Performance Video Links Updated

The DGN Wind Ensemble performance at Cadogan Hall may be found archived HERE. DGN's performance begins at the 28:00 mark.

There is a NEW stream link for LNYDP Parade (1^st January):

https://www.youtube.com/user/londonparade/live

Both events will also be streamed via the LNYDP Parade Website, Twitter, YouTube & Facebook pages.

The parade will begin at 12:00 noon (London) / 6:00 AM (CST). 

Happy Birthday Ella, Madeleine and Josephine!

We are celebrating THREE DGN Band Birthdays today! Very best wishes for a wonderful birthday in London are extended to Ella D. (center), Madeleine S. (left), and Josephine J. (right).

December 29, 2018

Congratulations to the DGN Wind Ensemble for a truly inspiring and musically rich performance this evening in London's Cadogan Hall! We are proud of you!

A special thanks is extended to the members of the Gaudete Brass Quintet for their collaboration on Leonard Bernstein's MASS. It was an honor to share the stage with you.

Earlier in the day students enjoyed a Blue Badge Guide of London! Many photos may be found HERE. 

December 28, 2018

We had a great day of touring, capped off with a very productive music rehearsal! Highlights included a visit to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, as well as the Tower of London. Our student musicians are finding their touring-stride and representing DGN with pride.

Photos HERE.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to another "Blue Badge" tour or London, and then the Wind Ensemble's concert at Cadogan Hall.

A live stream of the Cadogan Hall concert is scheduled for Saturday, 1:30 PM (CST), HERE. We will be the second of four music ensembles performing tomorrow, and our portions should commence at approximately 1:50 PM.

December 26-27, 2018

Our faculty and staff are incredibly proud of the tour musicians for the maturity and poise each student displayed during our flights to London. Flight crews and fellow-passengers were extremely complimentary of the way in which students carried themselves.

All three flight-groups were checked-into the hotel by early afternoon and student attended an orientation meeting. In the late afternoon we took our first trip on the Underground to Green Park, and then walked the parade route with an Audio Guide historical commentary. Upon return to the hotel we enjoyed a nice dinner before turning in EARLY for some well-deserved sleep.

As a reminder for families back home, most of our photography will be posted to the Photo Gallery, so please be sure to check THIS PAGE:

https://tinyurl.com/DGNBandLondonPhotoVideo

Happy Birthday Aaron!

Hey Band! (Hey What?!) It's Aaron H.'s birthday today! It's true that with the trans-Atlantic flight his birthday will be a little shorter this year. But at least Aaron will wake up the next day in London!

Hope your birthday is smooth sailing, Aaron!

Departure Day!

Departure day is finally here! We hope you got a good night's sleep, and are excited to begin our adventure.

Family & friends, we have created a Google Photos site where we will upload images and/or short video clips from the tour each day. You may access that folder HERE.

We encourage you to bookmark this link or access it from the Photo Gallery button on the left side of this page.

https://tinyurl.com/DGNBandLondonPhotoVideo

The Suburban Life newspaper has published an article this morning about our tour HERE.

One Day More! (Final Pre-Departure Info)

Anyone who has seen the musical or heard the soundtrack to Les Miserables knows "One Day More." (And if you don't know it yet, you will soon since we're all heading to the West End to see the world-wide hit musical while we are in London!) But it seems a fitting title for our final "reminders" Blog post.

One final packing idea: this one is for students in Wind Ensemble. If you believe that your black marching band shoes would work for your formal concert attire in London, using those shoes might save you space in your suitcase because you would not need to take a second pair of black shoes. This idea may, or may not, work for you.

Ambassadorship: We are incredibly proud of the Trojan Marching Band membership, and are confident you will represent DGN, District 99, our local communities, the State of Illinois, and the United States in a very mature and dignified manner. The impressions you will make on others begin the moment you arrive at North High, and continue with every personal interaction you will have with bus drivers, airline employees, TSA personnel, tour guides, hotel management, and one another.

Clothing for Travel: Please remember to wear your Tour T-shirt for travel, along with nice jeans (no significant rips, etc.) or khaki style pants. Gym shorts, gym clothing, work-out clothing, etc. is not appropriate for travel days. Please wear your most comfortable walking shoes or gym shoes. You are asked to wear a t-shirt under your tour t-shirt. You might consider putting a sweatshirt in your carry-on bag to wear on the plane after dinner; sometimes the cabin temperature feels cool when you're trying to sleep.

Arrival at DGN: Please have your ride park in a way that their vehicle will not interfere with loading the bus bays, or our departure. Hug your family good-bye, load your bags, and check-in with your Flight Chaperone. Once you have handed the chaperone your passport, you should get on the bus. Please do not "hang out" with family members outside the bus. Once we have everyone, we will have the buses depart for O'Hare; if that's a few minutes early, great! ("If you're on time, you're late.")

Your Bags: You, and only you, are responsible for your bags at all times. That means you make sure that the larger suitcase is loaded under the bus, and that your carry-on (i.e. backpack or instrument) is with you on the upper level of the bus. Please double check to make sure that each bag or carry-on instrument is labeled with a name-tag that includes your contact information.

Passports: When you arrive at DGN for departure, your Flight Chaperone will collect your passport before you load the bus. The chaperone will hold the passport for you at all times, except when you need it inside the airport. 

Unloading at O'Hare: Remember that you, and only you, are responsible for your bags. No one is going to move your bags for you. Student leaders may help the bus driver and chaperones pull bags out from under the bus, but each and every student must make sure they have their bags. Make sure you don't leave anything on the upper level of the bus either. Once the bus pulls away, we will not see it again.

Checking In with Airlines & Security: It's very important, when your group arrives at O'Hare, that you stick with your Flight Chaperone during the check-in process. Your chaperone will hand you back your passport for the check-in, and you will keep it with you until you complete the security screening process with TSA. Remember, there are no beverages allowed in your carry-on bag as you go through security. 

On The Plane: Please remember that all students must sit in their pre-assigned seats for take-off, unless a staff member asks a student to make a minor adjustment. As soon as you are seated on the plane, adjust the clock on your phone or your wrist watch to reflect local time in London. (Set the clock six hours forward.) You should start thinking that the end of the day is near, and trick your mind into feeling like bedtime is near. After dinner is served, and the crew turns off the interior cabin lights, try to get some sleep. Even if you cannot sleep for several hours at a time, grab as many zzz's as you can. You might be tempted to watch movies, or visit with your neighbor, but those who get some sleep will be far happier travelers upon our arrival in London. 

Technology: You will be asked to put your phones, tablets, etc. in "Airplane mode" prior to take-off. If you plan to only use your device on WiFi networks in England, this is a good opportunity to turn OFF your cellular data and your phone's roaming capabilities. If you forget to do this, your phone will connect to cell towers when we land, and that will cause you to start using data. This is fine, provided you have made arrangements with your carrier to use the phone in England. But for those students planning to only use their devices at the hotel (WiFi), don't forget to shut down the cellular data capabilities of the phone.

Merry Christmas to those celebrating the holiday today, and we look forward to beginning the travel adventure with you tomorrow!

Two Days (BBC Breakfast and Last Chance for Museum Tour Choice)

Before we share some big news, we need to attend to some important business. EVERY student must pre-select the museum they wish to visit. Most travelers have done this, but 37 students have not. If you see your name in the list below, please CLICK HERE, and take care of this immediately. This is your last chance; if you do not complete the form today (December 24) you will forfeit your choice and our staff will assign you to a museum visit. 

Bellie, Blumka(J), Bromfield, Covey, D'Ambrose, Derylo, Fosket, Gonzalez, Gorman, Hallberg, Howard, Huffman, Isaacson(J), Isoniemi, Jacobsen, Janka, Jasinski, Krejca, Larsen, Maison, Martello, McCool, McDermott, Moca, Murphy, Ohk, Powers, Ragnini, Rohde(J), Rohde(L), Stein, Sturm, Swenson, Talag, Tingzon, Utterback, Zindle

Having seen advance video of our band's TV-Zone preparations, LNYDP organizers contacted DGN and asked the Trojan Marching Band to be featured on "BBC Breakfast," a live television broadcast akin to the Today Show, or Good Morning America, in the United States. Click HERE for the BBC Breakfast website. Our appearance is currently scheduled for January 1st, and will be filmed live in London's Trafalgar Square. BBC One live programming is typically blocked for viewing in the United States, so families should not expect to watch our appearance as it happens. (You wouldn't want to, because it will be at about 3 AM in Illinois!) We will work to share a recording of the segment with families after it is released by the BBC to international audiences.

Congratulations to our Trojan Marching Band members for garnering this invitation. Only two of the bands performing in the parade have been invited to be featured, and we've been told we have been given a "prime spot." This is, no doubt, a reflection of the great work accomplished by our student musicians prior to departure. Bravo to all!

Three Days (Parade Line Up, Umbrella & History)

The London New Year's Day Parade line-up has been announced. DGN is the 36th unit in the parade. View the full line up HERE.

To learn more detail about each of the parade entries from the United States, click HERE.


Did you forget to fill out the survey about which museum you are most interested in visiting? We only have responses from 75% of our travelers. If you have not filled it out, please do so today. Click HERE to be redirected to that request.

At Saturday's final practice we took a photo that features the LNYDP Umbrella. You may remember that 15 months ago, at the official invitation presentation, the Lord Mayor and the Executive Director of the LNYDP bestowed upon Carrie Gorman the critically important job of guarding and protecting the LNYDP Umbrella. Carrie was told that she must keep the umbrella with her at all times and transport it to London for the 2019 Parade. Employing the reasoning that "it never rains when you pack your umbrella," we were told that Carrie's ability to successfully complete this important mission will have a direct impact on the January 1, 2019 weather in London. Looking at the forecast for New Year's Day, it would seem that Mother Nature might just reward Carrie for a job well-done. AccuWeather.com is currently predicting 48-degrees and a 2% chance of rain on January 1 in London. Carrie ... please don't forget to pack the LNYDP Umbrella. We're counting on you!!!

Follow the DGN LNYDP Umbrella on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/LNYDP_Umbrella

or

@LNYDP_Umbrella

Finally, THIS DOCUMENTARY will give you an excellent "behind the scenes" look at all the work that it takes to produce the London New Year's Day Parade, and will help our students understand the prestige of our invitation to perform. If you can carve out 45 minutes to watch the video, we believe you will enjoy it!

Four Days (Packing Pro Tips)

Our amazing Color Guard Coach, Ms. Zaragoza, is something of a travel pro, and has offered to share a few additional tips with the members of the Trojan Marching Band.  

Ms. Zaragoza's Pro Tips:  

• "Ranger Roll" your clothing to keep it from wrinkling and to save space in your suitcase:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuD-ZZydsVg
• Leave some empty room in your suitcase when packing for departure to reserve some space for any souvenirs you might want to purchase along the way.  
• Bring a purse that has a strap that goes across your body to help keep it more secure.  
• Wear your "bulkiest" jeans and shoes when traveling on the plane to and from to help free up extra room in your suitcase; alternatively, slip-on shoes make the trip through airport security easier and more efficient.  
• I like to brush up on cultural norms before visiting a new destination to better blend in and avoid potentially offending anyone from another culture.  Here are some tips for the UK (some of these pointers won't apply to this travel situation, but there are certainly some helpful ones included):  http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_gb.htm
• Lastly, here is an ever-so-brief introduction to the currency in the UK.  There are 100 pence (p) to the pound (£).  At today's exchange rate, one pound is approximately equivalent to $1.27 (US).  Notes come in denominations of £5, £10, £20 and £50. Coins come in 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2.

Five Days (Final Practice on Saturday)

As our students and families know, our final practice for the London Parade will be held tomorrow (Saturday, December 22). The practice is scheduled to run 12:00 noon - 2:00 PM. However, given the fact that we will be working without instruments, Mr. Smith expects that we will be able to shorten rehearsal by 45 minutes. Therefore, as you plan your transportation for Saturday, plan for practice to end at 1:15 PM.

Have you packed yet? Use Saturday as a day to lay out all of the clothing you plan to take, and pre-pack it in your suitcase. We strongly recommend having your bag packed prior to Christmas Eve / Christmas Day so that you can relax and enjoy those days with your family!

Six Days (Greenwich, Oxford and Windsor)

Six days to go!

Our tour will include visits to three areas outside London that are of historical significance, and we encourage students to spend a little time familiarizing themselves with Greenwich, Oxford, and Windsor prior to departure.

Greenwich
We will travel to Greenwich on a short Thames River cruise, and visit the Prime Meridian as well as see the Royal Observatory. 

Fun fact: We will visit the Old Royal Naval College, the centerpiece of a huge complex known as the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. The college, designed by the famous Christopher Wren, is considered some of the finest architecture in Europe. And it contains some amazing art, including a great hall with a painted ceiling that’s sometimes called the U.K.’s Sistine Chapel. The campus was used for filming in the movie-version of Les Miserables. HERE is a photo of the campus. HERE is a photo of filming. Fans of the movie will recognize the Barricade scene. 

Oxford

The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in continuous operation

Oxford has educated many notable alumni, including 27 prime ministers of the United Kingdom and many heads of state and government around the world. As of 2018, 69 Nobel Prize winners, 3 Fields Medalists, and 6 Turing Award winners have studied, worked, or held visiting fellowships at the University of Oxford, while its alumni have won 160 Olympic medals. Oxford is the home of the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the world's oldest international scholarships.

Windsor

Did you watch the most recent Royal Wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle? That's where we're headed! You will enjoy a self-guided audio tour of the wonderful Royal Apartments, followed by a visit inside St. George's Chapel and a walk around the castle walls.

Seven Days (How To: London Tube)

With just one week until departure, it's time to learn more about "The Tube!"

Participating travelers should watch THIS VIDEO, and READ THIS ARTICLE.

If you are curious to see the Underground network of trains, click HERE for a Tube Map. (This might look intimidating. Don't worry ... we will always travel in groups, and we will tell you which line to take, and which stop to disembark.)

Eight Days (Pick Your Museum To Visit)

On Sunday, December 30, our afternoon itinerary will allow students to choose between one of two incredible museums: The British Museum, and The National Gallery.

Student participants are asked to review each of the two museum websites, read a little bit about each, and then indicate which of the two museums they would most like to visit. 

Please fill out THIS GOOGLE SURVEY by Thursday of this week (December 20) to express your preference.

Wikipedia: British Museum
Wikipedia: National Gallery