Tour Day 11: Bietigheim-Bissingen Farewell Concert

It's been a fabulous final day of touring and performing with the District 99 Honors Band. This is an incredible entourage of young adults and it has been a true privilege to chaperone them through Europe over the past two weeks. Parents, you should be incredibly proud of your children and the way in which they carried themselves as musical ambassadors.

Tonight's concert was a giant success; both ensembles played beautifully. I'm sorry it has to come to an end, but it was a fitting ending as both bands collaborated on the final selection.

I am reminded, every time we travel internationally with the band, that borders evaporate and the planet feels smaller when we make the effort to simply talk to one another and exchange artistic traditions that are culturally relevant and important to one another. There have been some powerfully authentic friendships developed here in the past week, and I imagine many of these relationships will continue for years to come.

We are heading off to the airport in just 5 hours, so I should try to get a little sleep!