City known as ‘Second to None’ – along with Wisconsin’s Milwaukee – charm MLHS Senior High Band and Choir
In 1964, Jimmy van Heusen wrote the music and Sammy Kahn added the lyrics – but it was the first, the original “The Voice” himself – Frank Sinatra – who brought their inspiration to life, immortalizing Chicago, Illinois in song: “My kind of town, Chicago is; My kind of town, Chicago is; My kind of razzmatazz; And it has all that jazz.”
Fifty years later, Mountain Lake Public High School Senior High Band and Choir members recently spent time taking the song’s chorus to heart, making the Midwest city located on the southwest shore of Lake Michigan – their kind of town, too.
Along with the “Windy City,” the students were charmed by a couple of things Milwaukee, Wisconsin has to offer – Miller Field, the home of the Milwaukee Brewers – and the Harley Davidson-motorcycle manufacturing plant.
But first . . . before the boat tour, the “Bean” and hopping on a “Hog” – there was work to do – music clinics for both groups.
Senior High Band and Choir participants, their respective directors, Kurt Jahnke the instrumental leader and Andrea Brinkman, in charge of vocal music and a smattering of chaperones left on the three-day excursion bright-and-early on Thursday morning, April 17. Clinicals were held at Minnesota State University (MSU)-Mankato, later that morning – Dr. Amy Roisum Foley, MSU’s band instructor working with the instrumentals and the university’s choral director, Dr. David Dickau, instructing choir members.
The trip to new realms began as the entourage left Mankato behind – heading to an overnight stay at Key Lime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort in Gurnee, Illinois.
From Gurnee, it was a quick jump to Chicago – and a full Friday, April 18 of sightseeing. A jaunt on a Wendella Boat Tour gave the group a scenic view of the Chicago skyline, as well as a close-up look at the waters of Lake Michigan. No trip is complete with shopping extravaganzas, and the Navy Pier provided the perfect outlet.
From the water’s edge, the adventurous band and choir members went to Millennium Park – with proof positive of that visit a group photo at “The Bean.” Paraphrasing the Chicago Board of Tourism’s description’s of “The Bean,” as well as the park in which it is located – Millennium Park – it is uncovered that “The Bean” – the sculpture’s unofficial name – serves no purpose other than to be the unofficial mascot of the city, a massive piece of awesome art, and a reflective surface for Chicago’s skyline. It’s proper name is Cloud Gate, created by British artist, Anish Kapoor. “The Bean” weighs in at over 110 TONS, and is 66′ long and 33′ high. It was created by using a huge number of individual stainless steel plates – and its seamless surface is the result of thousands of hours of polishing. The sculpture has the appearance of a giant drop of liquid mercury, and the mirrored surface offers a reflection of the city’s whole skyline. Visitors can walk underneath “The Bean,” which is actually concave – and enjoy the “fun house” mirror effect ‘this creates. Millennium Park is a public park in the Loop community area of Chicago and was created to celebrate the millennium. It consists of 24.5 acres near the Lake Michigan shoreline in northwestern Grant Park. Aside from Cloud Gate (“The Bean”), the park features the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the Crown Fountain and the Lurie Garden. Because the park sits on top of a parking garage, as well as the commuter rail Millennium Station, it is considered to be the world’s largest rooftop garden.
The “Blue Man Group” performance at the Briar Street Theater was on tap next for the troupe. The theater’s web site notes the group’s performance is, “Best known for its theatrical productions described as ‘ground-breaking,’ ‘hilarious,’ ‘visually stunning’ and ‘musically powerful.’ These performances feature three enigmatic bald and blue characters who take the audience through a multi-sensory experience that combines theatre, percussive music, art, science and vaudeville into a form of entertainment that is like nothing else.”
Dinner at Ed Debevic’s followed. Ed Debevic’s is described as, “a faux-diner in Chicago’s River North that employees a fleet of young waiters who dress in ’50s garb, adopt an intentionally snarky attitude – and occasionally jump up on the counters and start dancing.”
Following another night at the waterpark, it was off to Milwaukee and a Saturday, April 19 in-and-around the Wisconsin city. The first tour was of Miller Park, the home of professional baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers of the National League. The ballpark was completed in 2001 as a replacement for Milwaukee County Stadium.
The last stop before leaving Milwaukee – and heading home to Mountain Lake – was to the Harley-Davidson motorcycle manufacturing plant, one of two American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression (the other was Indian).
The band and choir members returned home late Saturday night.
According to Brinkman and Jahnke, the objectives for taking the senior high groups on such trips every two years is:
* To provide opportunities to their students to perform and grow musically.
* To learn about culture and etiquette they may not otherwise experience.
* The opportunity to venture out of the Mountain Lake/southwest Minnesota area and experience live music, theater, etc.
* To give students the chance to grow together as a cohesive unit by implementing fun activities.
Following are photographs chronicling the trip, provided by the Mountain Lake Public High School Music Department:
