Tuesday, April 26th (Day 6)

Well, the bus is quiet as we cross New Jersey on the Interstate. Just a few hours ago, we were enjoying tremendous performances of Memphis or Lion King on Broadway. Earlier in the day, we were at Henry Snyder High School in Jersey City for an exchange concert. Once the two bands performed for each other, they enjoyed lunch together in the auditorium. The fun began once we taught them some of our pre-performance activities including the hokey pokey and koom-chuk (I know I butchered that one) and they shared some of their traditional dances. I have the whole thing on video tape!! The whole auditorium was a celebration. It was sad to leave our new acquaintances and head into the city.

Once we took the Lincoln Tunnel into Manhattan, we headed to the Empire State Building. After a two-hour wait, we were on the 86th floor looking out over the entire city on a beautiful day. Talk about picture-taking heaven.

Following that, we made it back to Times Square for some last minute purchases and our final group dinner at Hard Rock Cafe.

I cannot over-emphasize how wonderful the students have been throughout the entire trip. Kudos to the chaperones for an outstanding job throughout the tour and to the many tag-alongs who stepped up to help out when needed.

I personally want to thank bus two for being "the best bus ever!" and for breaking the all-time bus loading world record of 28 seconds (not bad for 44 students ). Though I see the kids everyday in class, I always enjoy getting to know them better on these trips. Parents, you truly do have incredible kids and I am honored to be their teacher.

On behalf of Mr. Bell and myself, we hope you enjoyed the tour and that the memories will last many years to come.

Band is Life.

We will see everyone when we roll into the parking lot at GHS tomorrow afternoon.

Mr. Barnes

Just a short note tonight. Today was a very busy day with our Lincoln Center tour and performance, two clinics and Blue Man Group. Catch the pictures on the website. The kids did excellent today with their performances.

Tomorrow, we perform our exchange concert, a trip to the top of the Empire State Building, Hard Rock Cafe and the musicals (Lion King and Memphis) before we head toward home late Thursday night.

Day 4- Easter Sunday

Easter is here! The Gtown Bands made a very early start today. Six am wake up and on the bus to the city by 6:45. The majority of the group attended Easter services at St. Patrick's Cathedral or St. Bartholomew's Church in mid-town Manhattan. Some of us even saw a glimpse of Archbishop Dolan after mass. The Easter Parade was quite the scene as they closed 5th Avenue allowing thousands of New Yorkers into the streets, many in obnoxious bonnets and other head gear. They even dressed up their dogs for the event.

Following the parade, we journeyed to Central Park for a picnic lunch (and boy was the weather nice!), then a trip to the Museum of Natural History or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The kids also had a chance to meander through Central Park from one side to the other...visiting the Sheep Meadow, Strawberry Fields, the Boat House, the Ponds and literally miles of winding paths. It was a great experience to see the park up close and personal (filled with thousands of New Yorkers and visiting guests enjoying the natural beauty of the park).

After the museums, we made it back to Times Square again and had a special dinner at Planet Hollywood. Due to some rain showers we postponed the trek up to the top of the Empire State Building for a clearer (and dryer) day. The rain did provide an opportunity to go back to the hotel, enjoy the pool, relax and a game or two of Uno in the lobby (Go Seniors). We hope everyone has a good night's rest because we have our Lincoln Center performance tomorrow along with the clinic for the bands. Time to focus for performance!

The kids have been great and have represented themselves, their school and community well over the past four days. We are very proud of them.

Take care and Happy Easter!

Mr. Barnes

Day Three- NYC on Saturday

Happy Easter Everyone!

Today was another long day of sightseeing for the GHS Bands. After breakfast, we hit Times Square for some serious shopping and sightseeing. Had a ball in Toys R Us, the M&M Store and Hard Rock Cafe among many other destinations. We also took a 4-hour bus tour of Manhattan from Battery Park in the south, to Central Park & Museum Mile in mid-town to Harlem in the north. We had several stops to get out and take pictures. Another treat was a lunch at "The Garage" with good food and great live jazz by the Marsha Heydt quartet.

We went back to Time Square later in the day and saw that the square filled up to up to ten times what it was during the day. Even had a visit to Medieval Times theme dinner where the G-town Bands and entourage rooted on the evil Green Knight with extreme gusto and enthusiasm. He almost won, but good prevailed in the end as our knight was defeated.

It rained most of the day, but that didn't dampen the spirits of our students. They were real troopers all day long (real "wet" troopers though if you want to be technical).

We made it back to the hotel after a full day and the kids are now asleep (hopefully). Tomorrow brings Easter services in Manhattan, the Easter Parade, Lunch in Central Park, Museum visits, Planet Hollywood and hopefully, if the weather holds out, a trip to the top of the Empire State Building.

Til then, Happy Easter from the band students, chaperones, directors and tag-alongs 800 miles east of home.

PS: I am dealing with picture issues with Day Two and hope to get them up and running soon.

Mr. Barnes

Friday (NYC Day Two)

Happy Friday. It's now 9:35 pm New York time and we are all checked into our rooms. The kids are on a chaperone-led Target run, relaxing in their rooms or are enjoying the pool.
Today was a busy day. We arrived early AM in New Jersey. Travelled by ferry to Ellis Island, then by Ferry to Liberty Island, yet another ferry to Battery Park in Manhattan. We did a walking tour through Wall Street, saw ground zero and even walked the Brooklyn Bridge. Next we stopped for a walking tour of Chinatown and Little Italy. After a great dinner at the Dallas Barbeque, we finally made it to the hotel for check in. It was a very busy day for all. Everyone should be exausted!
On a side note, seniors Katie Reiels and Chrissy Dawson are very excited about becoming "Junior Park Rangers" at Ellis Island. Congrats to both of you.
Freshman girls Petra Rack and Lauren Schleicher enjoyed Ellis Island the most. "It was very interesting", stated Lauren.
More to come tomorrow. Check out the pictures.

Believe it or not, we are on the busses outside of Cleveland Ohio (busses with wi-fi...incredible). After 4 movies, it's time to turn off the lights and try to get some sleep. The kids have been fantastic all day. Busy day tomorrow with Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and walking tour of lower Manhattan. We will send another post at about 9:00 pm on Friday once we get to the hotel. Pictures will follow about midnight.

Enjoy your nice comfy beds (said with a great deal of envy)

Mr. Barnes

NYC, Here We Come (Daily Updates)

Tomorrow's the big day!!

Well, it's Wednesday evening and the GHS Bands are set to head east to the Big Apple. Buses will take off tomorrow afternoon and arrive in New York City early on Friday morning. We will have daily updates on this website. Please check in daily to find out what's happening to our students while on tour. We will also have pictures posted on a daily basis (check the photos button on the www.gtownbands.com website sidebar).

Big Apple, get ready for the G-Town Bands!!

Any questions, comments, please email Mr. Barnes at jbarnes@germantown.k12.wi.us (it will be checked each evening).