St. Charles East High School
Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble
Visit China
“Our whole trip was great, but the real highlight for me was the Henan province, and especially the beautiful cities of
Kaifeng and Luo Yang. Every performance was well organized and the people were so nice. Jeff was absolutely the greatest tour guide we could have had. Mr. Liu, our bus driver, was also fantastic!
Thank you for making this trip a reality for us. It really was the experience of a lifetime. I hope we can go back again someday!”
-Jim Kull, Band Director, St. Charles East High School
”Everyone in China is extremely nice and friendly. They have big banners with
“Welcome St. Charles East” at every hotel and performance; they give the
soloists and directors huge bouquets of flowers after every concert, and people
swarm around you for pictures. The Chinese people do everything they can to make
you feel welcomed, and you feel like a famous movie star when you walk through
the streets. Then they have twice as many employees at every restaurant and shop
than in America, so there is always someone following your every move. It is a
little weird at first, but after a while you become used to it.”
The Real China, BY- Jeffrey
LeFevre
“One of my favorite sites was the Ming Tombs. They were so
authentic and original. Playing our 3rd concert at Luo Yang was
exhilarating! The audience was huge. Derrick was the best tour guide ever.”
-Devon Hopkins, Band Performer
“I really enjoyed this trip; it was a fantastic experience.
The Chinese people have been warm and friendly.”
-Julie Chadwick, Band Chaperone
“I would brag incessantly about how the Chinese people
loved out amateur jazz so much, they came up for pictures, autographs and even
the honor of carrying my $200 bass back to the bus.”
-Jimmy Pittman, Band Performer
“The Great Wall was very cool to play for such a large
group. They enjoyed it so much. It was fun watching the small children dance
while we played.”
-Katiana Tactikos, Band Performer
“I loved getting to know China and its people, especially
when we interacted with Chinese students at the Universities. The Pagoda forest
was extremely peaceful. I loved the history of it and the different styles of
pagodas. The concert in Luo Yang was unbelievable with all the people and
photographers.”
-Barbara Thomases, Band Chaperone
“The concert and following dinner at Kaifang University was
great because of the great interaction between our students and the University
students.”
-Chuck Doebler, Band Chaperone
“The whole trip was fabulous! I enjoyed every bit of it!
The Longment Grotto scenery was beautiful and all the history involved was
amazing! I loved this trip so much, if I had the opportunity to do it again, I
would be the first one in line for tickets!”
-Katie Kull, Band Participant
“This was a great trip! We really enjoyed the entire
experience. We had great tour guides and everyone did what they could to make
the experience enjoyable. Rebecca, Jeff and Lisa were great!!!”
-Jennie Kull, Band Participant
“How friendly, outgoing and nice the people of China are!
Society there is so free and open. Each city we visited was distinctly different
from each other. I loved them all! The cultural exchange was priceless. Seeing
my daughter play in a concert on the Great Wall of China is one of the best
experiences I can imagine as a parent. Rebecca, thank you for doing this trip
for us. It was an experience of a lifetime!”
-Sue Doebler, Band Chaperone
“The Chinese people are amazing. I have great respect for
their work ethic. They appreciated our children’s talents and were so excited to
have them perform.”
-Sandie Benhart, Tour Participant
“The chance to communicate and interact with the Chinese
citizens at Tianan Men Square was amazing. This trip was a once in a lifetime
experience”
-Kristina Cox, Tour Participant
“I became good friends with one of the Chinese students who
accompanied us. We interacted with the students and played basketball at the
University in Kaifeng.”
-Russ Chinn, Band Performer
“China was an exciting adventure. It was the most amazing
trip I have ever been on.”
-Alex Putz, Band Performer
“The most exciting moment on this trip was being on
television and in the news paper.”
-Caleb Taylor, Band Performer
“The Shaolin Monasteries had a very interesting history and
I was excited to see such a famous place. The most exciting moment was playing
with pyrotechnics in the Cultural Square at Luo Yang for thousands of people.
Who else can say they’ve done that? Plus, we were on television!”
-David Hepfei , Band Performer
“I learned so much about the people, the language and the
culture as a whole. I learned about the daily life of the Chinese, their
traditions and customs and the incredible generosity and kindness they have!”
-Elizabeth Chadwick, Band Performer
“Silk made in China requires a lot of work and many hours
of preparation. The culture is amazing and sets a great example for how we
should all live. I enjoyed the different shows and performances such as the kung
fu demonstration, the acrobatic show and the musical instrument demonstration.
It was a fantastic, life-changing experience!”
-Chris Billquist, Band Performer
“The Chinese people are very warm. It was fun to see them
respond to the music.”
-Mark Nelson, Band Chaperone
“ The Great Wall is such an important symbol of China; it
was great to start our tour there. I learned a lot about Henan at the museum.”
-Elaine Belanger, Band Chaperone
“I can’t believe how smoothly this trip ran. Busses were
always there and waiting, the restaurants were always prepared…it was just
awesome!!”
-Patrick and Nancy Epicy, Band Chaperones
“The Henan Museum was an excellent choice for musicians. I
learned so much about the history of the Henan Province.”
-Leslie Kiesel, Band Chaperone
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