Another day of skiing has come and gone. I am happy to report, even though we had some hard falls, everyone is in one piece and there are no broken bones. 

As many tried their hand at skiing once again today, others ventured out for other activities of shopping, snow shoeing, and a ride to the top of the mountain on the SnowCat. From the top, the views were breath-taking. It's amazing we have the opportunity to see this part of our country. 

Tonight we went into town for the award ceremony and street dance. Yes, it's 20 degrees and we have an outdoor party. It didn't faze most of them as they were dancing and having such a great time with all of the kids from the other school who participated. 

I know, you're all just holding on waiting to hear the results so I'll not hold it any longer. After singing an amazing performance last night for three adjudicators, they are coming home with a Superior rating, this is the top rating for the festival.  Competing against 6 other choirs in 5A Mixed Choirs, they are bringing home the trophy for Runner Up!  Reading through the judges sheets, one  said "I wish I had more constructive comments but you did it all beautifully".  

It has been another amazing Chamber Choir trip.  Friendships have grown stronger and memories have been made.  This is a wonderful group of kids that you should be proud of to represent Springfield and Kickapoo.  

Day 2:

Exhausted but amazed, this seems to be the theme for chamber choir trips but it is good! 

Today started bright and early with breakfast before heading out on the Gondola to Winter Park Village where we met at 8 to begin ski lessons at 8:30.  There were only 4 people out of the group who had skied before so lessons were a must. Dividing up into groups of 10 we set out and spent a few hours with an instructor learning the basics of skiing. It was so cold and blustery out (it felt like 2 degrees when we started and the actual temps were in the teens) but we all survived and learned a lot. Go ahead, rub in that 80 degree weather in Springfield. At least we're having fun!

After lessons we were free to ski on our own and have lunch in the village. Some returned to the mountain after lunch while others shopped, tubed, and spent some time wandering and relaxing. By the time the final group came off the mountains it was nearly white out conditions with blowing snow and high winds.  Good time to call it a day and wait for brighter weather tomorrow. 

Tonight we headed to Granby, CO for competition.  Warm-ups were at 7 and the performance at 7:20. If you didn't catch us on Facebook, they were amazing!  They sang with so much energy and heart and really showed their love of music.  You should be proud! 

After the performance we headed back to Winter Park for dinner at Hernando's Pizza where we also celebrated Jonathan's birthday with a  sundae and singing. Back to the condos for the night. It has been another very full day for everyone. We are ready to be checked in and get a good nights sleep before one more full day tomorrow.

So for now, good night from Winter Park,
​Kristin

We are excited but we are exhausted, at least the chaperones are. We have arrived in Winter Park, Colorado and the mountains are beautiful and snow covered. 

After the send off concert in the Commons Area at KHS last night, we loaded the bus for a long night of travel. Leaving at 10pm it didn't take long for the bus to quiet for the night. We stopped this morning at 7am for breakfast at a rest stop about 2 hours outside of Denver. Thanks to donations from Panera and parents we filled up on Bagels and snacks to tide us over to lunch. 

We arrived at the Lamont School of Music on the campus of the University of Denver where the kids sang their contest pieces for Dr. Catherine Sailer, the head of choral studies. She worked with them for an hour, all of which you can watch on the choir Facebook page, and she gave them valuable feedback and was very impressed with their sound and song. After a short tour of the beautiful music hall, we loaded the bus, grabbed the box lunch (again thanks to Panera), and were on the road to Winter Park.

So many of the kids have never seen Colorado or the mountains so they really got to see them from all heights including straight down out the side of the bus. 

We arrived in Winter Park, checked into our hotel and off we went to be sized for our skis and boots for tomorrow morning.  Several have chosen to ski while several others are trying their hands at snow boarding. The excitement, nerves, and smiles were fun to watch as they are trying all of the equipment on. 

Free time before a home cooked dinner provided by so many wonderful parents. After, some will hit the outdoor hottub and others will probably crash early.  It has been an exhausting trip so far but with a good night's rest, we'll be ready to go with ski lessons first thing tomorrow morning. We are expected to get 17 inches of fresh new snow beginning tonight through tomorrow night so skiing should be great. No worries. The driver's said roads shouldn't be an issue even with that amount.  

They will perform for contest tomorrow evening.  We will do what we can to live stream to the Facebook page if we are allowed to do so by the festival.  They perform at 7:00 (8:00 Springfield time) so good thoughts would be wonderful. 

For now, as the snow is beginning to fall, stomachs are full, and eyes are heavy...Good night from Winter Park.

(Hot tub pictures will come tomorrow night as I'm having trouble getting them to upload)

Kristin Cornelius

Thirty one members of the Kickapoo High School Choirs have spent a week in Italy together. We’ve toured great Cathedrals and Basilicas together, seen great works of art, music and literature, cities that predate the founding of our own by country by hundreds to thousands of years. We’ve eaten in restaurants where ordering food was as difficult as understanding what we were eating. Our students rehearsed great music with other musicians from around the United States under the direction of Dr. LaBarr from Missouri State University. They have sung in Cathedrals in Orvieto and Siena as well as the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi and St. Peter in Vatican City. 

It’s been a lot of action, learning, moving, packed into a week in a foreign land. Now, as you look back over your pictures, journals, and memories of this week please remember what made this all possible. You may think of Dr. LaBarrs' development of the festival and conducting. You may consider Mr. Cornelius’ effort in putting the trip together. You put in work in the end of the school year with Mr. Nimmo on the music. Perform Internationals wonderful planning. Your parents, or yourself, having the financial ability to pay for the experience. None of these people can take credit though, to do so is a swing and miss. Please understand that those people, events, and financial components are only the tools that made things happen. Like building a great Cathedral they are the tools and workers who built it but without the stone and marble they have nothing. 

 MUSIC is what made this experience possible, and nothing more. Like building a Cathedral cannot happen without the stone and marble your experience here could not have happened without MUSIC. It is your learning of a craft and dedication to singing that brought this opportunity to you. Without MUSIC this would have been a simple sight seeing tour and you would have seen the great places and things that you saw. With MUSIC you experienced these places and things in a way that others can not. It will be hard for you to fathom that others do not understand when you explain your experiences here, even those who’ve been here themselves, because MUSIC sets your experience apart. MUSIC will continue to open doors to experiences for you the rest of your life if you allow it. 

Thank you for allowing us to share this musical experience with you and never stop singing. 

Arrivederci,

Mr. Cornelius

Well here we are at the end of another amazing trip. We are all have had a great time but we are ready for home, free water, and large cups of coffee. 

Today was another busy day. We started after breakfast with a tour of the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. All three were amazing. We were not able to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel. Japan actually owns the copyrights for this chapel so they have banned any photography, instead you can buy it in the gift shop. Pictures were allowed in the other two. When going through St. Peter's, we learned that there are no paintings in this building. Everything that was created on the ceilings and walls were done with mosaics so color won't fade and pictures are permitted. 

After our tours we broke out into groups. Some decided to go have lunch and do some shopping, some wanted to take more time in the Basilica, and a large group of us went to the top of the dome of the Basilica. Most walked the 551 steps to the top to get a panoramic view of Rome. The first stop was half way up and a view on the inside of the dome to the Basilica below. The second stop was the top and outside for the views. Breathtaking views and even though it was 5:30 am at home, some kids took the opportunity to call or FaceTime with their families from the top. Then another 551 steps to the bottom. 

After returning to the hotel for a short break and to freshen up, we loaded up and headed to city center of Rome. There we did a walking tour with our tour guide Luca to see the Pantheon, the Trevei Fountain (throwing a coin from your right hand over your left shoulder into the fountain means you will one day return to Rome), and the Spanish steps (actually a gift from France for people to travel to church). Shopping in an upscale neighborhood was also enjoyed during this time.

Dinner tonight was another 3 course meal of pasta, salad, pork, potatoes, and fruit for dessert at Restaurant Re Deli Amici in city center. Then off to the hotel for one last night. 

The kids have been great. We have received many compliments from people on how polite they were and how prepared they were with the music. This has truly been an experience of a lifetime for these kids and the chaperones.

Tomorrow we head home. See you soon Springfield!
Caio, 
Kristin 

Good evening from Assisi! Unfortunately we have limited access to internet so I will update the blog when I can. Between the access and just pure exhaustion last night, I will catch you up now on the past 72 hours.

We left KHS at 4:30 am Saturday morning to begin this amazing adventure and it has been just that.

Arriving at the KC airport at 7:30, we got checked in, baggage checked and through security with ease. Had a bite to eat, loaded the airplane, and had a very quiet and comfortable ride to Atlanta before loading again at 3:20 for a very LONG but uneventful flight landing us in Rome at 7:40 am Sunday morning (12:40 am Springfield time). Most of us took some short naps on the plane to prepare for the days ahead.

By the time we got through passport checkpoints and baggage claim, we met our tour guide Luca and boarded the bus, off for a day of Italian adventures.

Our first stop was a small town called Orvieto. Many towns in Italy are built at the top of large hills and rocks which made it hard to attack and Orvieto is just one of these examples. To access the town, we had to leave the bus, take a 2 minute tram ride up the mountain before boarding a shuttle bus to take us to the top. We spent a couple of hours exploring this ancient city and giving an impromptu concert at the Duomo di Orvieto (Duomo - cathedral, di - of, Orvieto).

After boarding the bus again, we headed for the hotel, freshened up and headed out for dinner at Stalla di Assisi. Here in Italy they traditionally serve 3 course dinners, the first being a pasta dish, the second is your meat or fish and vegetable, followed by dessert or fruit. Last night we started with a large piece of lasagna, followed by salad, chicken, and panini sandwiches, then a dish of rich chocolate pudding for dessert.  We were full. We were happy. We were exhausted!

Day one wrapped up with time at the hotel, many enjoying a beautiful panoramic view of Assisi from the hotel decks then off to bed for a good night sleep.

Day 2 started with a buffet breakfast at the hotel and back on the bus at 9. Today we have discovered the city of Siena enjoying a guided tour including the ancient Siena Cathedral which included a room of original musical manuscripts of Gregorian Chants. The architecture and paintings these cathedrals are amazing!

We spent free time in Siena for lunch, shopping, and exploring the beautiful city full of ancient architecture and stories.

Tonight concluded with dinner at the hotel where we joined 3 other choirs here for the festival including Dr. Cameron LaBarr and Missouri State as well as Ivo Antognini who is the composer of several of the pieces the choir will be performing this week. Some of the kids headed to the swimming pool after dinner while others play games or just sit and socialize.

It has been an extremely exhausting day but filled with so many stories and memories made. For those of you who have never been to Italy, it is exactly how you picture it. The ancient buildings, the narrow streets, it is all exactly like you see in pictures and movies. It is absolutely beautiful!

Tomorrow is another fun filled day and I look forward to updating the blog as soon as I can. Until then, know that all the kids (and adults) are having a wonderful time and are exhausted by day’s end. Another great group of kids to travel with from KHS!

Day 2 pictures still need to be loaded. You can catch us live on Facebook when we perform as we are able to record. Watch The Kickapoo Choir on Facebook!

Buona Notte (Good night),
Kristin Cornelius

On many occasions my husband has told the choir that ratings and pieces of plastic are not important. The most important part of performing is the experience and touching people's lives. As we traveled back to the hotel last night, he told the kids this again and said the performance at the Bean was more important than today's performance because of how many people listened, recorded, and were emotionally touched by the music.

Today they sang in competition for 3 judges and they sang from the heart! They brought tears to the eyes of the audience with their music. When the judges went on stage to give them feedback, the first one apologized for all of the "wow's" in her recorded comments. As they talked to the kids, you could hear how much they were truly moved by the choir's performance. 

We spent the afternoon shopping and enjoying the honking horns (making us appreciate little Springfield) downtown Chicago at and around the Water Tower Place. 

Early evening we loaded the bus which took us outside of Chicago to Medieval Times for a dinner theater and awards. The dinner was great and the show was amazing...but most of all, awards.  Kickapoo swept the awards ceremony. Taking home a GOLD superior rating with 287 out of 300 possible points, 1st place in division 3A, most outstanding choral group, and the adjudicator award for the best ensemble at the festival between choir and band combined the kids were amazed at their accomplishments. Emily Trent was awarded the Maestro award for outstanding musician where musicians stood out to the judges during the performance. The Ovation award also went to Kaylee Grose. This is an award to an outstanding musician recommended by their teachers. The teachers write a letter explaining their accomplishments and their work not only in the choir and the school but also in the community. The festival reads the letters and chooses one person for this award each year. 

The night ended with a dance for the kids and now are settling down in the hotel for a well deserved night of relaxation before heading home tomorrow. We will be leaving here at 10:30. 

This has been an amazing trip with wonderful kids and awesome chaperones. Memories were made and bonds were made stronger over the last few days. This is an amazing group to travel with and Kickapoo and Springfield should be proud of the accomplishments of each and every one of them. 

Good night from Chicago,
​Mrs. Cornelius