LONDON MUSIC/VIDEO STUDY TRIP PAGE
LONDON CHECK-LIST:
LONDON CHECK-LIST:
I have information on the Musical London page with links for the shows we will saw last year. I will soon update this information to reflect th 2003 trip.
Moments to remember......Where do I begin.... is it "Phantom of the Opera", "Les Miserables", "Miss Saigon", "Buddy", or one of the dozens of other shows we have seen in the last nine years. Maybe it was the end of "Moby Dick" when the male strippers appeared and I thought maybe this wasn't the show for my students! Or the rock concert with the "Little Angels" when we were the only ones not dressed in leather! Or maybe the three hour "Beatles Tour" through the streets of London early one Sunday morning. As I reflect on our experiences in this wonderful town I can't help but be amazed at what our students have been able to experience.
Many events have made an impression on me during the last nine years. Looking back on all the shows, tours, sights, and concerts we have witnessed two non-musical events stand out. In 1994 we attended a performance of "Carousel" with former President Richard Nixon in attendance. This was immediately before he visited Moscow for the last time. He passed away at his home in New Jersey less than a month after that performance. President Nixon was a kind and gracious man who went out of his way to accommodate the students; posing for pictures and giving autographs. During the funeral coverage on CNN, one of the people traveling with him during his visit to London remarked that the happiest day of his final year was attending the performance of "Carousel" in London and having all of the American students show him such kindness. "Carousel" had special meaning for him because he had attended the original Broadway performance with his wife Pat.
The other truly unique experience occurred the same year at "Speakers Corner" in Hyde Park. Our students became engaged and enraged in a discussion with a British gentleman about the merits of interracial marriages. His position was totally against such marriages and how terrible it was for blacks to marry people of other races. Anyone who has been around a military base is aware of how many students have parents of different races. The Africian-American, Asian-American, and German-American students rallied around the white students in defending their rights to like anyone they pleased! Later that day we discovered part of the discussion had been filmed and replayed over British television!
A Lot of Hard Work....The planning for the trip begins during the summer school arranging for theater tickets, buses, and hotel reservations for sometimes as many as 164 students and parents. Early in the school year I must request permission from the District Superintendents Office in Kaiserslautern and provide the necessary justification for a music study trip. After the final approval is given for the trip, I send a Parent Information Letter to the parents explaining the details of the trip. Before final departure for the trip I send another letter to the parents announcing a London Trip Meeting. At this meeting I discuss all details of the trip, pass out a copy of the rules, answer questions from the parents, and go over the trip schedule.
General Information About London...Read A History of London for a refresher course in London's past. One of the first things people want to know is how do we get around in London? Everyone will have a London Travel Card that will allow them to ride the London Underground. Click here for information on getting around in London. The London Guide is helpful to learn general facts about the city. You can get the feel of the city by taking a Virtual Tour or by check out the PBS Going Places-London site. I know all of you students will want to check out the ULTRA * YOUNG TRAVELLER'S GUIDE TO LONDON. Most of the students I'm sure will sample all of the American style fast food rrestaurants but the adults may want to check out The Fairly Priced London Restaurants and The Traditional English Restaurant Guide some something more than a burger. of If you are interested in spending as little money as possible, check out London for Free! or this site.
If you what to know the British prespective on life check out the BBC News ,the BBC Online - Education , or the The Times .
Musical Theater and More...This year students will have the time to see the Major Sites in London during the city tour on Friday morning. Special times are set aside for students to organize "Discovery Trips" where they plan what they want to see and how to get there. Everyone will have a tube pass that will get them to many Attractions in London. On Saturday morning students will have a choice of which London Museum to visit. Many will visit the world renowned British Museum while others will visit one of the Military Museums, the Science Museum, or the Museum of the Moving Image.
This area is under-construction and I will add more information as time permits. I am working on the Musical London page. For a sample of what London has to offer, check out the links below.
