Trip Itinerary

Wednesday, March 14th

• 7:30-8am: Students drop off luggage in Band Room*
• 8:30-3:30pm: Attend school
• 3:30pm: Students gather luggage and line up for dog sniffing
• 3:30pm: Parents and chaperones arrive
  • Adults do not need to have their luggage sniffed
  • At 3:30pm, students will meet their check-in chaperone and adults will meet the students on their list
• 4pm: Depart LCHS to LAX
• 9pm: Ireland, here we come

*If you would prefer to drop off your student’s luggage later, please drop it off at the band room starting at 2:30 p.m.

Luggage:
The first bag for everyone is free, plus one carry-on and personal item. Bag must be under 50 lbs and 62 combined inches (length/width/height).

Instrument Transportation Fee:
All participants are asked to contribute $100 to the cost of getting the instruments to Ireland. If you haven’t yet, please have your student drop the check in the black box in the band room.

Travel Blog:
Staff will be posting photos and news throughout the duration of the trip. Click this link to follow along.

Parade Link:
The parade on St. Patrick’s Day will be streamed live. It’ll be early in the morning here, but it’s still fun to catch of glimpse of the band and the thousands of people lining the streets. Click here to watch.

Latest Message posted 1/29/18:If you haven’t already…

• Join Travel Buddies Remind
  • Text to 81010 with the message, “@lchstrip” to join
  • All students, chaperones, and interested parents may join
  • Updated information prior to the trip and important information while in Ireland will be shared
• Join the Google Classroom
  • Traveling students ONLY
  • Class Code: u8o5tcc
  • Upload a photo or scan of your passport (just the photo page)
• Attend Meeting
  • February 12th at 7pm in the Band Room.
  • Rules, responsibilities, and packing issues will be discussed
  • Start planning your luggage (see below)

Uniform Packing List – Click Here for a Downloadable List
For all students traveling… Please keep in mind that you must pack all uniform items in your luggage. Each student will be responsible for all pieces and parts of their uniform throughout the entire trip. (There will be no Mrs. M’s bag to offer missing pieces.)

• Marching Band students will need to pack:
  • marching uniform
  • shako – in its box
  • marching shoes
  • black socks
  • black gloves
  • plume
  • gauntlets

• Color Guard students will need to pack:
  • guard uniform
  • shoes
  • tights
  • hair and makeup needs
• Orchestra students will need to pack:
  • Guys:
    • tux – jacket and pants
    • white shirt
    • red vest and red tie
    • black dress shoes
    • black socks
  • Girls:
    • concert dress
    • black dress shoes

All students (Band and Orchestra) in grades 9-12 in school year 2017-18 are welcome!
Student & Chaperone Registration:

• Visit Encore Tours

• At the very top, click on “Register”

• Select “I am a participant”

• Group Leader ID: 112040

• Group Leader Last Name: Stone

• Fill in the traveler’s name and information

• Create a Login and Password

• Choose your travel insurance, if any

• Make deposit

Any questions? Please contact Mr. Stone.

We are excited to travel abroad and perform in some amazing venues and march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade!

The tour cost is $2832.

The MPA has formed an exploratory fundraising committee to check out ways for students to earn part or all of the cost.

Chaperones are also needed, so please consider joining us for this trip. (The cost for chaperones is the same as the students.)

Info from Past Trips…
Here is a video of the parade when the band traveled to Ireland in 2014, as well as some photos. The video starts a little shaky and abrupt, but you can see the students and the huge crowd. (The video continues until you can’t hear the band playing anymore, even though the picture is of the next group.)

Student Insights…
Michelle Musso (UCLA):
“I almost didn’t go on the Ireland trip because I was going to miss a few days of class and a couple of my softball games. Now in my 3rd year at UCLA, it scares me that those were the reasons that I almost missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime trip that I still constantly tell people about. My teachers and coaches ended up being very understanding and excited that the band had an opportunity to travel abroad. This trip was one of the highlights from all of high school- experiencing the culture there, getting to wander around Dublin with your closest friends, and being in the middle of the energy of the two parades that we marched in. Talking to members of college marching bands at one of the parades was a huge reason that I ended up joining my college band, which has been one of the most memorable parts of my time at UCLA. I completely understand that in the moment of the school year the idea of missing multiple days of classes and maybe tests sounds like a bad idea. However, when I look back on high school, I don’t even remember missing those three days but I do remember the unforgettable time we all had on the Ireland trip.”

Matthew Miller (Cal State Long Beach, Conservatory of Music/Mandarins Drum Corps/Dark Sky Percussion)
“I went on the band Ireland trip 3 years ago as a junior and I can recall every day and night of that trip. I won’t soon forget the awesome performance opportunities and lifelong memories I made with my best friends. Having one of my arrangements played internationally was a great honor and a huge opportunity for me.  As for schoolwork, I worked it out with my teachers beforehand and I didn’t miss a thing! They were very supportive and helpful so it was no problem to keep up in class. I would highly recommend a trip for your student, the lessons learned and life skills acquired make it an invaluable experience.”

Eric Engler (Johns Hopkins Univ. Peabody Conservatory)
“Trips like these are not only fun, but were by far the HIGHLIGHTS of my entire high school experience.  They allow us to embrace and explore far away places rich in their own culture and history.  The places, people, and performances are all memories I will carry with me for the rest of my life.  A few things I’ll always remember:

• Eating lunch in an Irish pub
• The massive amphitheater full of bands from all over the world all playing for each other after the Limerick parade
• A personal one, conducting with three other drums majors from schools in different countries (also after the Limerick parade)
• Learning how to (badly) do an Irish folk dance
• Obviously, parading through Dublin and getting to experience the huge celebration of St. Patrick’s day

Missing some days of class can seem like it will be a HUGE deal, especially in high school, but now, 3 years later, I honestly can’t even remember a single assignment I had to make up – even though I was in several AP’s and I’m sure I had them.  This is a school-sanctioned trip, so teachers will have to give students a reasonable amount of time to make up assignments when they get back. Overall, trips like these are priceless.  The experiences you have with the country, the culture, the music, and the people you’re traveling with far outweigh any class you might miss in the process.”

Alyssa Miller (Butler University)
“I remember being conflicted on whether to go to Ireland or not. I would be traveling to Dayton to perform in the Drumline World Championships a few weeks after and would be missing some school then too.  I also had a State basketball playoff game that would take place the same time as the trip. But after talking to my teammates and my coaches, they all supported my decision to travel to Ireland. Marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin is an experience I will never forget. Playing music with some of my closest friends in an amazing location is a memory I cherish to this day. I don’t regret my decision at all!  This trip was truly something special.”

Hannah Henry (University of Redlands)
“Ireland was an extremely valuable experience. We were able to be in parades that were a huge influence on our musical understanding. We were able to meet other students from all over the world and learn how influential music can be in developing a community. Our trip allowed us to have adventures with our friends while being able to experience music in a new context. It was definitely worth the time it took to catch up from school because the trip was so incredible. Many teachers were very understanding because they knew that this trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Michael Seuylemezian (Tulane University)
“Ireland is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I will remember marching in the St. Patrick’s day parade for the rest of my life. The memories and friendships I made are priceless.  In 20 years I’m not going to remember March 17, 2014 because of what happened in math class, but because I was in Europe with my closest friends doing something incredible. Please don’t deny your child this amazing opportunity.”

Tracey Andrews (University of Washington)
“Hi, my name is Tracey Andrews, and I am a junior at the University of Washington up in Seattle. I graduated LCHS in 2014, just a few months after we went to Ireland that year. Today, I write this to express the once in a lifetime opportunity I had that helped define my high school experience.

I am in the Husky Marching Band now at UW, and you hear about all kinds of different high school band experiences that people had, and none was like mine. You hear that other high schools get to go to Disneyland once every four years, when we got to go every year; other high schools went to Portland or San Fransisco, when I get to talk about how I was fortunate enough to have a high school program that took me to New York and Ireland. It wasn’t until I heard about these other experiences that I truly realized how amazing this trip actually was. I got to travel to a whole new country with my best friends, and it was one of the major highlights of my high school career.
Looking back on high school 3 years later, I can’t tell you the grade I got in Calculus or Physics or whatever AP English class I took Senior year (heck I can’t even remember the name of it). The fondest of memories I have from high school are from band, and are especially from trips like this. . . you learn more about yourself and life by the experiences you have and the friends you make along the way than what you will learn in 3 days of high school class.
All in all, I loved this trip so much, and it was a defining week in my high school experience. I loved it so much, that I am actually going back this year, but this time with the Husky Marching Band. I am so lucky that I get to do this again, but like I said, most of you will never have this chance again, so don’t let it slip away.”

And one from a chaperone… Priscilla Musso (Alumni Band Mom)
“I was a chaperone on the trip in 2014 and it was truly the best experience for all our students. Although they missed a couple of days of school, the life experience that they gained from this trip and the bonding that they had with their fellow bandmates was a better learning experience than being in the classroom. Students did not have a problem catching up with the work when they got back.”