Author: dnimmo
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Coming Home
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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…
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Hungarian Connections
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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,…
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Remembering
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Yesterday, we visited Auschwitz. We had left Krakow earlier, with the GWO members in their usual high spirits, with happy faces and excitement “posted” for the day. But as we drew near to the place where so many perished, the bus grew silent. We were about to stand on sacred soil. There are no words,…
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Our First Performance
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After a wonderful breakfast, we boarded the buses for a tour of the Prague castle. Truly, an incredible area of the city! The students were “wowed” as they heard our guides, Karel and Otto, offer historical insights about the buildings and the great effort that was required to build the castle–requiring 1000 years to finish!…
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A Conductor’s Perspective
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We have now completed 10.5 days (about 40 hours of rehearsal) of our time together, as the Gustavus Wind Orchestra prepares for a magnificent tour to East/Central Europe. Of course, there remains a great deal of learning to acquire and to internalize, all of it based in intensive study. To be sure, the schedule is…