Parent Tour Testimonials
I believe that the Lyrics tour trip to Italy in April was a magnificent experience for my daughter. It was a trip that she will never forget. She had a great time exploring a completely new place and experiencing a new culture. To me, as a parent, what impressed me the most was the organization of the trip and the lasting connection that was established between the students. I can't wait for my youngest daughter to be part of an experience like this, since she is part of the Lyrics program this year.
Thank you for being a mentor and inspiration to both of my daughters during their participation in your choral group.
The 2017 Lyrics Tour to Italy was a life changing experience for my daughter. The cultural opportunities on the tour were a highlight of her high school experience, and the music opportunities were so meaningful and memorable for her. She learned and grew so much from this amazing trip. She will cherish the memories of the Lyrics Italy Tour for the rest of her life.
I went along on the 2017 trip to Italy and was able to see first-hand what an amazing experience it was for the kids. They had a great time, with both planned and impromptu concerts everywhere we went! You could see how connected the kids were becoming to the group - each night one or more would give a speech at dinner talking about the experiences of the day. They also clearly had a great time getting to know the two cities we visited and a town in the Tuscan countryside. Spending half a day at an Italian high school was a wonderful way for the kids to understand daily life and culture. There was a good mixture of structured and unstructured time. It was a trip they (and I) will always remember. I highly recommend the international trip for any Lyrics singer and parents can be assured that the kids will be in good hands and will return changed for the better with wonderful memories.
We were, at first, a bit concerned sending our daughter on a trip to England, however, as we learned about the details and how the trip was organized, supervised, and planned out, we could no longer resist. Kayla does run a tight ship on such trips and everyone knows it, yet they all wish to participate. We had never seen our daughter express such strong desire and determination; she was excited and determined to do whatever it took to be part of the trip. As we spoke with other parents, it became apparent that the excitement was shared by all the Lyrics members across the board. The self-discipline the youngsters exhibited both prior to and during the trip was extraordinary. The tour company Kayla had been working with for many years was professional and very experienced. Our daughter was never alone anywhere; they were always in groups, even in their free explore time. The experience for our daughter was nothing short of “AMAZING”! All the places they traveled, their performances in beautiful cathedrals and at so many famous and historic sights, the spontaneous singings in the clothing store, on the buses, in the airports and in street corners, it was all so marvelous! There was even time set aside for direct interaction with local students and folks to get to know each other and share in the local culture. It was not just a bus tour from one stop to the next. For our daughter, more memorable than all, was, perhaps, the music and the tight bonding with the 40 other Lyrics members. The over-the-top excitement during the run up to the trip, all the shared experiences and stories that will be remembered for a life time, performing in the most beautiful and famous places, all the getting-to-know each other during the trip, and even the sadness the 40 members shared the last evening before their return. She came home tired, but so very happy and with 40 closer friends she will forever remember. After the first trip, we were as excited as she was for the next upcoming trip, this time to Germany and Austria. “Get ready for the BEST week of your entire life” was our daughter’s remarks to her younger brother who had made it into Lyrics as well. There was no holding back either of them! The trip was extra special for both as it was their only Lyrics tour together. Two years later, our son had his second Lyrics trip, another magnificent experience, and this was to Italy. Each of the tours were in line with the first one. We, as parents, could simply not have provided our kids with these experiences which they will recount to their own children and grandchildren. The music and the singing, the camaraderie, the bonding, the travel experiences, and the exposure to the local culture, all while traveling in a safe and fun group was truly priceless. We, here at home, could not wait to check the tour website the next morning for new recordings and postings of the day.
My son was so excited after finding out that Lyrics members had the opportunity to travel to Europe. He came home without hesitation and said, “I want to go.” I began to ask questions. He was ready to answer all of my questions. I told him that I would think about it but in the back of my mind, I worried. It’s so expensive, he’s so young, it’s so far away and the state of affairs in the world were worries that would not leave me. I thought that is was such a great opportunity. No one in our family had ever gone out of the country before. It’s the type of experience that the average person does not get. Every time I thought of a reason why he should go, I thought of another reason why he shouldn’t go. I decided to have another conversation with my son. As I spoke with him, I could hear the delight in his voice. He had it all planned out, even down to who his roommate was going to be. At that point, I made my decision…I had to find a way to make this happen for him, even though I was apprehensive about him going away. The more information I got, the more comfortable I felt about him going. As a parent, you constantly worry when your child is not with you. I felt that I could not allow my fear to impede such a wonderful experience. When he returned from the trip, he was exhausted from the travel; however, we stayed up for hours talking about his experience. The laughter, the horsing around, the time spent looking out for each other and being accountable to one another. There is no way in the world that I could have recreated those moments for him. This trip opened his eyes to a whole new world. I really believe that this trip helped him feel more confident in himself and his ability to be more independent. One of best decisions I ever made!
I was impressed with the way the trip was organized and I felt confident that all of our kids were in the best of hands. This trip was both educational and inspirational in a way that my daughter has never experienced.
Kayla, I just wanted to take a moment to officially thank you for providing our students with the extraordinary opportunity to travel to Europe to make music in some of the most beautiful and historic venues and cathedrals in the world - not to mention the impromptu performances in restaurants, airports and street corners. This is an experience that that has touched my son immeasurably, and has, without doubt, been the highlight of his high school career to date. As he has said, it was the trip of a life time, and all of the kids bonded and became like family. Lyrics, and, in fact, the entire music program at LHS is a blessing. Aside from the glorious music, the students learn tremendous life lessons, develop compassion, empathy, dedication, drive, perseverance and camaraderie. The trip to Europe is simply the icing on the cake. Although I was somewhat apprehensive about sending my child overseas on a school trip, I would do it again in a heart beat. It was well supervised, well chaperoned, well planned and even included some important and meaningful sight seeing. It was well worth every penny! Thank you so much for investing so much of yourself in our children.
The memories from our childhood can become few and far between as we get older but we know that our daughter will always remember her trip to Europe with Lyrics. If it’s telling her children that she was at the fountain where the von Trapp children sang in the Sound Of Music or striking up a conversation with a person about Viennese Waltz Lessons, she will remember. This trip was invaluable in so many ways. She experienced more independence, responsibility, European culture, new friendships and a stronger appreciation for music. As a parent, watching our daughter’s excitement grow was infectious! We are truly grateful to Mrs. Werlin for sharing her world traveling expertise and organizing a trip that provided us parents with thorough information and peace of mind. Our daughter was fortunate enough to take this trip. She loved it and wants to see more of Europe. Our hope is that someday she will return!
My husband and I are parents of 2 students who traveled to Europe with Lyrics while they were in high school. We have seen what a profound influence these experiences have had on each of them. These excursions were opportunities for growth in so many areas: musically, culturally, socially and personally. Traveling with Lyrics is not simply taking a trip. It is more accurately a comprehensive year’s long cultural immersion experience which culminates in the traveling. The students are prepared not just musically but culturally as well. Starting in the fall students learn and rehearse music that is specifically chosen for its historic and cultural relevance to the trip’s destinations and performance venues. The significance of performing musical pieces in the venues the music was specifically written for is not lost on the students.
In addition to visiting many notable sites, the group also has an opportunity to visit places, to meet people and to sing in venues that they would not otherwise have the chance to (spending a day with Italian students at a high school in Venice, touring a historic Jewish ghetto in Venice, performing with/for a local choir in Camigliano followed by a reception). Ms. Werlin collaborates with a travel company that specializes in music tours and a knowledgeable guide remains with the group for the entirety of the trip.
My husband and I accompanied Lyrics to Florence and Venice in 2017 on what was a great itinerary. We had the unique vantage point of observing the students over the course of the week and witnessing what an incredibly powerful experience it was for them as they visited places and bonded as a group. After having had the opportunity to see firsthand what happens on a Lyrics tour, we were even more grateful that our children got to have these experiences as high school students.