German music students pose outside the Tivoli Theater

In 1985, it all started with one simple phone call from Kansas City to Downers Grove.One phone call, one simple idea, and a musical and cultural exchange program was created.Now, that program has passed the test of time and has become embedded firmly in two communities nearly 5,000 miles apart.

It all started with phone call to Mr. Bob Jacobs in Downers Grove.Calling from Kansas City, a fellow Kiwanis member asked Mr. Jacobs if a Downers Grove music teacher would be able to host a music group from Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany.Mr. Jacobs contacted Al Roselieb, the band director at DGS in 1985.Mr.Roselieb then coordinated the visit for the first German group in 1985.Since then, the cultural and musical exchange has taken on a life of its own, forging connections for nearly 1,000 students from both communities over the course of 25 years.

Since 1985, District 99 student musicians have traveled to Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany six times, most recently in June of 2010.District 99 Orchestra director and tour director Jennifer Mullen lead a group of 60 student musicians and staff members on a tour of Germany and Spain over an 11 day period.While in Bietigheim-Bissingen, students stayed with host families, gaining unique insight into German culture.District 99 students also experienced several cultural venues in the Bietigheim-Bissingen region as guests of the local municipality.The newly designed Porsche museum and the castle in Freudental, Germany are two of the sights that were visited by District 99 student musicians in June of 2010.

From August 26-September 1, 2010, 61 student musicians and staff members from the Music School in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany stayed with host families in Downers Grove.“Having the tours back to back like this really strengthens the relationships between families.” said District 99 Orchestra Director Jennifer Mullen.

While in Downers Grove, the students experienced many things related to Chicago and Downers Grove, both with their host families and as a group.“This program would not happen without so many wonderful host families.” said DGS Fine Arts Chair Glenn Williams.

One of the cornerstone events of this recent exchange was a concert at the Tivoli Theater in Downers Grove.The String Orchestra, Recorder Orchestra, and Guitar Orchestra were able to perform on the stage at the Tivoli to a crowd of nearly 500 people.This performance would not have been possible without the generous donation of the Tivoli Theater for an afternoon event.The students from Germany were able to perform in an amazing venue for a huge crowd because the community of Downers Grove generously supports this exchange in so many ways.

In addition to the Tivoli Theater, the Downers Grove Rotary, Downers Grove Kiwanis Club, and the District 99 Foundation all collaborated to support the itinerary for the visiting German students.During this recent trip, German students experienced the Willis Tower Skydeck, and, a double-decker bus tour of the city of Chicago.The community support from the Rotary, the Kiwanis Club and the District 99 Foundation made these experiences possible for our visiting German students.“When we travel to Germany, our students are always provided with the richest cultural experiences, so it is nice to be able to reciprocate when our German guests are visiting with us.” said DGN Fine Arts Department Chair Brayer Teague.“The cultural aspects of this exchange would not have been possible during this trip without the collaborative efforts of the Kiwanis Club, the Rotary, and the District 99 Foundation.”

As the German entourage departed Downers Grove early on September 1, 2010, everyone dreamed about past exchange experiences, and, began to focus on the exchanges coming in the future.In April of 2011, the Band from the Bietigheim-Bissingen Music School will visit Downers Grove.In June of 2012, a District 99 Honors Band will travel to Germany, marking the 7^th visit to Germany in the exchange for D99 students.Because of a strong commitment to this musical and cultural exchange from so many constituents in Downers Grove and in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany, it is readily apparent that another generation of student musicians in the next 25 years will be able to experience such a rich program.

It is still so surreal to me that I'm in Germany - absolutely amazing! Already this trip has verified two of my foundational beliefs - music is trans-generational and trans-cultural. The gentlemen in the photo, Bob Jacobs, came to wish us "bon voyage" yesterday (at least I think it was yesterday.) Mr. Jacobs founded this exchange, and shared his passion and joy with the students about this venture as we boarded our comfy yellow limousines outside of DGN. Bob Jacobs confirmed for me that music transcends generations. My current interactions with our host and other German music teachers verifies my belief that music transcends cultures. Our passion for and belief in what music does for the human condition is already a unifying elements in our interactions. What a blessing.

Parents, your children were amazing during the travel process - they continue to make us all proud!