We are back in Stuttgart for the final stage of the working part of this adventure. As most of you probably know, this area of Germany is a major military region and home to senior leadership. We have spent a lot of time in this city over the past several months, but we have also been here in past years for other military-based music events. In many ways Stuttgart is the German city we know the best since we have lived in an apartment in the suburbs, stayed in countless downtown hotels, have hiked the trails, and can use public transportation with our eyes closed. And we love the current theme that runs across the entire garrison: “I’m Glad I Live Here.”
And of course, we have come to love the children in the base schools and the community choirs we have conducted. In fact, it was our first experience many years ago with military parents and their children that led to us asking our universities to let us travel overseas to work to help Department of Defense Schools for an extended period.
In addition to all the military activities, Stuttgart is a city of inventors. They claim to be the home of everything from the clothes pin to the modern bra! And while I don’t know if there is a Stuttgart Brassiere Museum, I do know there are museums for both Porsche and Mercedes Benz.
Tommy and I were taken to the Mercedes Benz Museum by our new friend Matt. We had a lovely afternoon learning the history of the boats, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and of course cars that have been produced the company we now know as Mercedes. As I have mentioned many times, Tommy is a sponge at museums and so we were thrilled to learn that Matt is the same and would let us cover the museum at what was a snail’s pace compared to all the people around us!
And if you like vehicles, check out these pics!
We saw both the first bus and the first double-decker bus
But the cars were the real show!
Oh, and we saw the Pope-Mobile!
Anyway, as a reward for letting us take nearly four hours to study every car, we took Matt out for beers at our favorite Stuttgart spot Carls Brauhaus. Oh, and we let Sarah and Matt’s wife Merrillan join us!
And in case it looks familiar, you have seen Sarah and me in this brauhaus on Facebook over the years! She always has a German Riesling and I always drink the smallest beer they offer!
This week we taught voice lessons and did choir clinics on base. It was a real joy to work with these kids and to give them a musical experience beyond their “every day” music. Just like their parents are giving so much to our country, these students are too. It is not easy for them to get moved around every year or two, to miss out on experiences common to their friends back in the States (Districts, All-State, etc.), and to constantly say goodbye to friends they just got to know. Yes, they get to see the world, but there is a price they must pay.
Warning: Short Soapbox Speech Ahead
This leads me to why I am teaching voice lessons and doing small choir clinics at only one school on one base. You see I am supposed to be in Stuttgart to guest conduct one of those large festivals that occur in the States but often not overseas. The type where kids from far away audition and then travel to a site and spend time getting to know each other and experience a big and exciting sound that is not possible with a single school choir. But these kids no longer have that opportunity because the concert was cancelled. And it is not because of the kids, their parents, their teachers, or even the school leadership at the district or even regional level wanted this. And sadly, this is not the first time our plans have been changed while on this trip.
I have done my best to keep this blog positive, and to use it to highlight the cool opportunities we have had these last four months. But we are also experiencing a lot of things that are not so cool. And while this is not the right platform for sharing those negative experiences, I would feel dishonest if I did not at least suggest that we have had a lot of firsthand experiences that suggest that the current push to find “waste” and pull the arts and humanities out of the control of “ultra-left fringe groups” is (intended or not) clearly hurting the teachers, students, and families of those who are in their own way serving our country.
Now back to our program…
With that said, we are off to the Isle of Mull in Scotland for our first real “rural” experience since moving over here. So let’s get on a plane, pick up our little Mercedes rental car (museum inspiration?), drive for the first time in four months, and finally catch the two ferries to the island! Oh, and don’t forget to drive on the left!