Archive for February, 2014
Home Away From Home in Pomaz
While I’ve mentioned that the home stays in Pomaz/Budapest caused a little stress for the Gusties before the moment they met their host families, these photos from the morning we said our goodbyes and left Pomaz will better express the value of the experience. Some of the host “parents” were in the band at the […]
Coming Home
As I packed my last items into my suitcase this morning, preparing for our flight home today, I was drawn to the sense of fulfillment that I have known during the past five weeks, and in particular, since arriving in Europe some two weeks ago. There are no words that properly or adequately describe what […]
All Good Things…..
As with all good things, after 16 days visiting and making music in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Austria, it is time for the Gustavus Wind Orchestra to close the curtain on its 2014 European Concert Tour. As I write this, the members of the Gustavus Wind Orchestra are hiking or riding from the […]
Hungarian Connections
Yesterday, the musicians of GWO woke up in Hungarian homes, having spent the previous evening trying to connect via language and culture. Some had expressed a bit of nervousness as their names were being called by Al Behrends to be paired with their hosts. But when the sun rose over the Danube in the morning, […]
Sometimes a Tourist
The Gustavus Wind Orchestra’s second day in Hungary allowed for another amazing day on the 2014 concert tour. As promised, our great friends in Pomaz (outside Budapest) packed the auditorium at the music school for our concert. Every space in the auditorium was filled including standing room along the walls and the entire lobby. However, […]
Hungary, We Have Returned!
On day 10 of the Gustavus Wind Orchestra’s 2014 concert tour in central Europe, we have arrived in Budapest, Hungary, and our time for home-stays on the tour. We arrived in Budapest to an assembled host of friends from the Pomaz Music School who have become our friends over 20 years. In 1994, the school […]