Heidelberg in Heidelberg: Annual tour takes Choir, Symphonic Band abroad

Hello, my name is Regan Gibson. I am a rising junior here at Heidelberg, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Music. I am also a member of both the Heidelberg Concert Choir and the Symphonic Band. I am so excited to share our tour in Germany with you! Going to Germany is so special to me. I have never been outside the U.S. and the farthest I have ever traveled is Florida. This trip is such a great opportunity to explore, create music, and build strong bonds with my fellow ensemble members! One of the other reasons – and possibly my favorite reason – is that my grandmother’s father and both sets of grandparents were from Northern Germany! I have been given a tremendous opportunity, through music and Heidelberg, to walk in the same country as my great-grandfather and great-great-grandparents.

While I’m taking lots of photos as is recent ‘Berg grad Cole Miller, my official photographer for this blog is none other than Caleb Silvia. Caleb recently received his undergraduate degree in History and Political Science with a minor in Business from Heidelberg. He will also be continuing his education here at Heidelberg through the University’s MBA program. Caleb also performs with the Concert Choir and Chamber Singers.

Day 1: Monday, May 11

Our first sort of unofficial day of tour was spent traveling. Our day started at Brenneman Music Hall at 8 a.m., followed by a two-hour bus ride to the Detroit airport. The day was mostly spent waiting, though to my surprise, we ended up getting through TSA very quickly. We boarded our plane around 3:30 p.m. en route to Frankfurt. We arrived around midnight our time, but in Germany, it was approximately 6 a.m. All in all, a very busy day!

Day 2: Tuesday, May 12

We have arrived in Germany, and already so much has happened! After we navigated our way around the airport in Frankfurt, we met our two tour managers, Peter and Abby. My tour manager is Abby, and while on the hour-long ride to Heidelberg, she talked to us about certain ways in which traffic and laws are different. Before we had even driven away, most of our bus was shocked that we had to wear seat belts on a bus and could even be fined if an accident occurred and we weren’t wearing them.

Abby also gave us a quick breakdown of the rest of our day with one major rule: “DON’T SLEEP!” She let us know that after we arrive at our hotel in Heidelberg, we had free time to explore! We were afforded the opportunity to see the castle ruins up a mighty steep hill, but the view was all worth it! I then went with a group of friends to visit many local shops. By the end of the night, after dinner with both ensembles, we all finally slept … a relief to many, including me!