Today we stopped for an early lunch in Big Bend Wisconsin. A few band members and I went to the Subway and there were two very sweet ladies working there. They were genuinely interested in who we all were and what we were doing. She told us about their small little town and talked to us a little bit about Waukesha. John, our lovely bus driver, came and got lunch and the ladies working were kind enough to pay for his meal since he is driving us all safely around. This small community of Big Bend has some great people that really made my day!
During the day we had the opportunity to have some sectionals with high school students. The trumpet section got to work with 3 sophomore trumpet players. I was so impressed by the students we worked with. One of them has only been playing trumpet for less than a year and he was doing a superb job! They also played other instruments like piano and guitar. There is some great talent here at the Waukesha North High School. Doc had clinics with the full bands during the day. The Wartburg Wind Ensemble was able to sit in on one of these full band clinics. I found this experience to be quite impactful. The way the students adapted and were open to something different showed in their playing, they played differently and made positive changes. I loved witnessing the high school students get affirmation of their improvement and growth from the members of our ensemble.
Our concert in Waukesha went beautifully. There were quite a few alums in the audience, and it was wonderful to see their reactions to our playing. There was so much joy on their faces. My favorite part of the concert by far was singing "The Lord Bless You" with the alumni, you could tell how much it meant to them. I love that we can share our love with not only the alumni but to the communities we are going to on tour.
Thank you to the Waukesha North High School Bands for such an incredible and impactful day!
Emily Reedy ‘24