IOWA AMBASSADORS OF MUSICEUROPEAN TOUR, SUMMER 2014

Spring Orientation Meeting

Dr. Jones, band director

and Mrs. Jones

Peter Westphalen, choir director

We are the BIG YELLOW Coach!

75 Passengers:68 participants

7 staff members6 flight groups

Yellow Coach Advisors: Dr. William Carson

Laura CarsonDoreen AndersonDoug AndersonMichelle Colton

Alexa GibbsPam Schroeder

Assisting today:Chelsea Dunn, Orange Coach

Dr. Carson

Mrs. Carson

Mrs. Anderson

Mr. Anderson

Michelle Colton (with Dr. and Mrs. Jones)

Alexa Gibbs

Pam Schroeder

Over 200 in bandOver 140 in choir40 staff membersThere are only 4 or 5 openings (and none on our coach)

7 coaches – over 370 participants!

Nearly every county in the state is represented.

Introduction Reminders

• Name• Hometown• Voice part or instrument• What you are looking forward to most!

Tour Locations

Des Moines Roosevelt High SchoolSaturday, May 17th 9:00 a.m. Use Fine Arts entrance, third parking lot along Center St., closest to I-235, exit 5B

Grinnell CollegeJune 29-30, July 1-2

Farewell Concert• July 2, 7:30 pm

July 3 – Bus to O’Hare

Fly to London!

Windsor!

LondonJuly 4 -6

London activities• We will have 2 nights in London with

optional small group activities• Some tickets could be purchased in

advance, or money will be needed for these activities

• Tickets must be for after 6 pm: 18:00 hours• Lower-priced or free options will be

available

ParisJuly 7-9

Vaduz, LichtensteinJuly 10 stopover

Crans-Montana, Montreux, Zermaat, Switzerland, July 10-12

Seefeld, AustriaJuly 13 - 15(with a day trip to Venice, Italy!)

Rothenburg, GermanyJuly 16 - 18

Choral music will be provided at the Audition Meeting May 17th so you can take the music home and practice. Cost is covered by your Iowa fees. Choral students will get to keep music and folder as a souvenir after the tour.

Choral placement auditions• Sing “My Country 'Tis of Thee”• Repeat some melodic examples• Clap some rhythms

Wind instrument audition materials

• Major scales: C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, G, D, A • A one-minute excerpt that shows off

your best playing• Festival Prelude (Alfred Reed)• Stars and Stripes Forever (original

version)• Dr. Carson can provide these by email

or we can print some for you after the meeting

• Folders will be distributed after part assignments are determined so you can practice!

Percussion auditions• short 4-line solos

– snare drum– Timpani– Mallets

• Up to one minute additional to play an excerpt of your choosing to demonstrate your best playing

• Notebooks distributed at meeting so you can practice your parts

Forms• You have your passport by now! • Keep good track of forms that Voyageurs asks for, and

meet deadlines• Emergency form – was due Feb. 1, 2014• April 1 – Plan C final payment due• May 1 – Voyageurs will announce increases if applicable• May 15 – Any increases due• Mid-June – final packet with detailed itinerary

• Don’t forget to order your uniform from the uniform company (not from Voyageurs or IAM) and hem pants and skirts before camp! www.Formalwear-Outlet.com

• Make a copy of all forms before you submit them and keep a set at home.

• Make two copies of your passport – leave one at home and put one in your luggage.

• Maybe bring a copy of your birth certificate as well, but keep it in an extremely safe place!

Tour T Shirt

• One shirt included in your Iowa fees• We have already collected your sizes

Yellow Bus T-shirts

Yellow Bus T-shirt Prices• Small $10• Medium $10• Large $10• XLarge $10• XXLarge $12• XXXLarge $14• XXXLarge $16

Ordering today is great• Checks or cash are fine• All orders must be received no later

than April 15 so that shirts can be distributed at audition meeting on May 17

Packing • Checked - 58” W+H+D , 50 lb max.• carryon 37 in• Travel lightly – but dress appropriately• Pack for variety of weather• OTC Medicines (dramamine?)• Electrical converters and adaptors• Cameras, flash memory• Phones?• Prescriptions

Music stand for band members Document safe Phone card Inflatable bus pillow Eye pads Easy-wash clothing Think about how to conserve on what

you will bring – remember, you have to carry it!

Packing

UniformPurchase online:

www.Formalwear-Outlet.comYou will need to secure a few items (shoes, shirts, socks) locally if you don’t already

have them. Here are the details: Women• Skirts that you buy from the company need to be hemmed: length 3 inches above

the floor.• Black knee-high nylons.• Black shoes 1-inch heel or flats. No flip-flops please!• White dress shirts, permanent press, long-sleeved, no frills, neck button suitable

for bow tie. Men• The uniform pants that you buy from the company need to be hemmed – no cuff,

touching shoes or slight break.• Black socks (no design) and black shoes.• White dress shirts, permanent press, long-sleeved, no frills, neck button suitable

for bow tie.

Label everything

Money• Avoid traveler’s checks• Credit Card/ATM cards • Notify credit card/ATM companies• Check for foreign transaction fees

• Keep all receipts• Telephone• Pounds (about $75), Swiss Francs ($50),

Euro ($150), dollars (if you use credit card a lot, you might not need all this cash)

• Expect about $20/day for lunch, post cards, snacks, beverages, etc.

Document Safe• http://

www.zappos.com/pacsafe-coversafe-75-neck-pouch

Instrument insurance

• Only $300 coverage – insure through homeowners

Roomates

Student Supervision

Curfew and Discipline

Advisors will do room checks, complete with orientation to the next day

Travel Courtesy

CAOs (creative adjustment opportunities)

Gather information about the countries, cities, people, food, and culture of the places we will visit.

• Most sightseeing included• Tour book• “Thresholds”

Instrumentalists bring audition music and music stands.

Everyone bring a pencil.

Figure out how to get lunch (nothing is walking distance).

Next meeting - May 17 audition rehearsal at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines. 9:00

a.m.

Camp – registration begins at 3:30 p.m., June 29, Grinnell CollegeGrinnell College Athletic and Fitness

Center (10th Avenue between East and Park Streets)

Housing:• Students will be housed on single-sex floors in the

College’s residence halls with the following accommodations provided:– Two students per room– Linens (blanket, sheets, pillowcase, one towel, hand towel,

and washcloth)– Shared (not private) bathrooms on every floor– Most rooms are air conditioned– Roommate requests will be accommodated whenever

possible– We provide two meals per day (breakfast and evening

meal). Lunch will be the students’ responsibility and there are a number of fast-food and other dining options available, all within easy walking distance of campus.

Money for foodSeparate case for camp clothes

Farewell Concert Grinnell College, 7:30 p.m., July 2.

Ticket information coming soon – yet another form to fill out and send in!

Extremely early departure – probably about 4 am!

July 3

Advisor AssignmentsYellow Coach Advisors:

Dr. William CarsonLaura Carson

Doreen AndersonDoug AndersonMichelle Colton

Alexa GibbsPam Schroeder

Dr. William Carson• Band Director at Coe• 319-361-3545 (c)• band@coe.edu• bands.coe.edu

Contact Information

More materials to come.

Make sure address, email, phone, are up to date!

Stick around!• To pick up the t-shirt form and the

small group advisor list• If you need uniform or London

information• If you have ANY questions• If you want to change dropoff,

preferred name• If you have any address, telephone, or

email updates• If you need band audition materials• If you would like to set up a carpool to

Des Moines or Grinnell• If you want to order your t-shirts now