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March 21 - 8:00am MT
With all students (and chaperones) present and accounted for we are off! Currently cruising over the Sierra's at 35,000ft most of our travelers are, to the surprise of the adults, awake. They're enjoying some of the in-flight entertainment and each other's company. Don't worry, though, they're being well behaved and one flight attendant has already complimented thier behavior. And, the tour is already off to a successful start with successfully negotiated early boarding so that our instruments were guaranteed overhead space.
We'll touch down in about an hour and immediately start experiencing some of what Denver has to offer. After lunch at Denver Central Market, we're off to experience Meow Wolf Convergence Station. With only a brief time in the hotel this evening before we head out to dinner and Prokofiev’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ performed by the Colorado Symphony, it's a very full first day. Look for an end-of-day report tonight after room checks.
March 21 - 10:45pm MT
That is what a full day looks (and feels) like! Once out of Denver International Airport and onto our bus, with our tour guide Karen and driver for the week Jose, we set out for a delicious lunch. Students made their way through the bustling Denver Central Market as they chose from a bevvy of dining options then found tables together inside and outside where they joked and ate and were kids enjoying a small bit of freedom.
The afternoon was a one-of-a-kind multi-sensory immersive art eperience at Meow Wolf Convergence Station. From the moment they entered the exhibit they were sucked into the alternate worlds and neon landscapes. While many students struggled to put into words exactly what they were taking in, there was universal agreement that it was amazing.
After a brief stop at the hotel to check in and settle into our rooms we headed out for a family-style buffet dinner at West Saloon & Kitchen before being treated to an amazing evening at the Colorado Symphony. The program for tonight opened with Verdi's La forza del destino: Overture - which served as a wonderful stage setting for the evening's program. That was followed by the premier (and premier recording) of Christopher Theofanidis's Gemini Sun: Concerto for Violin and Percussion. The violin soloist for the evening, Yumi Hwang-Williams, who is also the concert master for the Colorado Symphony, was steller. But most Crowden kids seemed to agree that Svet Stoyanov, the percussion soloist, stole the show. During intermission one student shared it was "already one of the best concerts" they'd ever seen, but that they were struggling to stay awake for it all. The roaring performance of selections from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, though, helped keep sleep at bay with its undeniable intrigue and drive.
Surprisingly, the music didn't stop with the concert and we were treated to a street performance by the Brothers of Brass, who had us dancing on the sidewalk to Stevie Wonder's Just the Two of Us while we waited for Jose to pick us up.
And, as we round the corner on hour 18 of our time together today, everyone recognizes that we are all running on fumes and sweet sleep must come soon. That said, it was a very good first day! Good night.
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