European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 02, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday. May 2, 1978 the stars and stripes Page 9 Albrecht Schmidt music director at Rusie Bheim gymnasium works with the German american band and chorus at the seminar attended by 170 Young musicians and stagers. 5-Doy seminar brings germans americans together these kids have a common Bond music Jim Coles Iii its school s . Germany is take 170 Young musicians and singers nine band directors a wide variety of music put them All in a youth Hostel forgive Days of concentrated music work and you have the makings of the seventh Dod Leseur German american music live in Voeller from Phoenix ariz., the Dodd eur music coordinator is the Force behind the whole thing. He said i started this in 1972 because i did t fee that the Little Tours and one Day get Ogeth ers that the schools sponsor really let our kids get to know germans or let them know Inge Burke our inter cultural Edu cation coordinator and 1 set out to find away of immersing the kids in each other. Came up with the idea of putting the together for a week having them on music they d not seen before an presenting the finished product in a Voeller said this year s group represent american schools in Germany the school at Izmir Turkey and 18i academic High schools gymnast b. The kids who come Here Are the top in the schools. They Are selected i the basis of my observations and Strong inundations from the local music Dir. These kids have outstanding Mu-1 skills and lots of dedication he said. Bob Benson of new York City music Dir at the embassy school in Bonn and i assistant director Here said the kids rally have to pay their own expenses 11, the room and Board at the Hostel at costs them �40 for the week. Every j else has been taken care of by Dod eur and the City of Russel sheim. The Ity has been terrific in its support of the Eminar. Our goal is to put on a concert but the in purpose of the live in seminar is to get kids together. It s really interesting Tolch the relationships develop. On a nearly everyone Speaks at least some biggish so language problems Are rather new and Many of our kids speak some in Serman. On monday when they arrived. Here was very Little personal Contact an Unyong the kids. But these kids have a Jill Anu non Bond dynamics of the group Are Amaz ing. We be put the kids in big rooms four or five to a room and tried to get two Ger mans and two americans in each. The work hard for about six hours a Day. Then come Back at night play for pleasure an take part in the social activities we put to Gether for them. There is almost no outside time for them. They Are working playing and living together constantly. By the endow the week they la have some Concrete things to base their opinions of each other they also have housekeeping duties Todo. We be had absolutely no problems with the group. The kids Are absolutely positive about the whole concept they Are tremendously said that another interesting aspect of the program was the Way the German music directors changed. Most German directors Are very formal an classical in their approach to teaching music. Many Are actively against the More modern forms of music. At the least Many tend to be mechanical in their interpretation of music in t taught in Many gymnasiums so the kids tend to be Rote players. So what we be seen Here has been an Awakening to Freedom an introduction to More modern forms of music and the beginnings of new though processes going Back into the German Bremerhaven students thank hostess for gifts Bureau chief Bremerhaven Germany its Bremerhaven american High school Dor Mitory students have sent a thank Yon card to a cocktail hostess who donated four typewriters and 400 Marks to the Stu dents during a recent an Bremerhaven new manual typewriters Worth about 1,000 Marks and the Money were donated by Faye Jordon. Who works in the City s red Light District. The an telethon raised $3,580 in Cash and pledges but Jor Dan s donation was not included in announcements of the total amount raised said s. Sgt. Jim Johnson nco1c of the Sta Tion Here. Clyde Finnell dormitory Counselor said she would have Given the students a new color television set. And offered to dose. Until she found out the Money being raised by the telethon was to be used to buy new color to sets for the dorms. She said she saw announcements about the telethon on of nov and wanted the kids to have a Nice atmosphere in the Dor Mitory Finnell said. Dorm officials invited Jordon a native of Wimbledon England to attend a Barbe Cue the weekend of the was Here Only about 15 or 20 min utes and the parents who were staffing the dormitory that weekend and taking Call during the telethon thanked her for All she had done for the Don t get much support from the local wives clubs Here for the dormitory Finnell said. But we get support from a lady who works in the red Light is the sense of morality Marilyn Young a Counselor at the girl dormitory said Jordan is a very Friendly person and her donations Jordon said when 1 saw the furniture in the dorms nearly dropped she added that she met Many of the dorm students parents atthe Barbecue and not one of them gave a Damn about what 1 do or a living. They a every Nice she said she was surprised and please to receive the thank you note. I nearly broke out in tears she , who said she has a degree in psychology from on English University added that she also plans to donate two Iso Mark calculators to the said there has been mixed re action among the Community about Jor Dan s donations to the dorms. Apparently one Parent called and was irate because the dormitory accepted her contributions. But the students now have four Brand new typewriters because someone cared the Counselor said. Schools. The directors learn As much As the kids Voeller said. Detlef Vogel 19, of Langen who attends Frankfurt gymnasium said this was his fourth seminar. I come Back because it Isa lot of fun. I be Learned a great Deal about playing the violin Here. This is a very goo thing for everyone we Leam about each Clarke 18, the trumpet playing son of it. Col. And mrs. Gregory a. Clark of Miami Fla. Said Overall i m impressed with this concept. We have nothing like it in Izmir Turkey where we re As signed. We have very few musical re sources in our school and most of our band is made up of eighth graders so our director has to spend most of his time on basics. Here i be been Able to work on style and the finer Points of playing. I be also had a lot of musical Contact Here. Working with top rate musicians has been Worth the hassle of the trip for Agarwal of the Sachsenhause gymnasium where he is a senior cellist said we come together with americans to play music we would never be Able to play in our school. We also find that Ameri cans Are not really the Way Many of us imagine them to Alto saxophone player Kimberly Fulg Ham a 17-year-old Junior from Pitburg a Germany the daughter of col. George of Fairfax va., said i m a Little disappointed in the music generally Aren t written into orchestral pieces so i Only get to play two Complete works. But the interaction with other musicians especially the germans has been very rewarding. I be taken two years of German but Don t feel that i can speak it Well. By being with them i be improved my German a lot. We Veall worked hard but i Haven t heard anyone complain about has been a very Good a Bonn High school student. Gilber Kaupp son of or. And mrs. Harry h. Kaupp said when two cultures meet Inan intensive environment like this the meeting in t always easy. There were some strains at first but they were Basi Cally Small. There were even a few duds on both sides but 90 per cent of the people Here have been super. I be collected sever Al addresses of people 1 want to correspond with. If nothing else happened 1 made some new
