“Priceless”: A Family’s Experience Traveling with Musicians Abroad
For the French family, Musicians Abroad provided an unparalleled opportunity to learn, grow and explore — together. Willa, French horn player, Stuart, trumpet player, and their father David shared their experiences while traveling on the 2023 Kentucky Musicians Abroad trip.
A Truly Unique Adventure
Educators from each state nominate students for Musicians Abroad based on musical skill, character and displayed leadership. The honor was not lost on David French when his daughter, Willa, and son, Stuart, were selected to perform overseas. “As a parent, I was really proud of them to be able to get to go there,” he said.
The Frenches decided to make the journey as a family and experience the new countries and cultures together. “We got to see some things we would never be able to see over here in the States,” David commented. “All of the beautiful churches and cathedrals, the countryside, the mountains — things that we don’t have access to all the time.”
“The food, the clothes, the different types of customs, the architecture – oh, it was gorgeous,” Willa smiled. “It was just amazing.”
New Favorite Places
Switzerland in particular left a lasting impression. “Being able to go to Grindelwald and to see the Matterhorn — it was magical,” Stuart said.
Willa agreed. “It was just like a dream. It just didn’t feel real.”
The Swiss Alps were unlike anything they had seen before, emitting a grandeur that can only properly be felt in person. “You just couldn’t describe them,” said David. “You have to be there to see how large and majestic these things were.”
Lasting Effects of Cultural Immersion
The unique experiences the French family encountered in each country sparked important conversations and broadened the students’ cultural awareness.
“The kids actually talked about all the different cultures and all the different places we visited, and we had great conversations about how that affected their perspective of the world,” David noted.
Due to the impact of immersive learning, David noticed Willa and Stuart taking all they were learning on the trip to heart, expanding not only their performance skills but also their worldview. He said, “The kids actually matured a lot on the trip.”
New Friendships
Willa and Stuart came away from Musicians Abroad with lasting friendships.
“I kept [in] contact with most of my friends from the Europe Musicians Abroad trip,” Willa shared. “I’ve been seeing a lot of them at my other band performances. I still keep in contact with them, talk with them, catch up on things.”
Stuart highlighted how bonding over a shared love of music and performing across Europe created connections “Being able to form bonds with people I played with, just being able to play overseas, it was incredible,” he said.
Welcoming Audiences
The student performers were greeted by welcoming audiences everywhere they went, providing a first-hand example of the transcendence of music.
“[The audiences] were clapping, singing along, enjoying the performance,” David remembered. “And very, very appreciative of the kids being there.”
Willa likened the experience to a family reunion. “I realized that music is a universal language,” she said.
Performers played traditional American pieces at their concerts, as well as songs representative of the countries they were visiting. Hearing songs that reminded the Musicians Abroad travelers of home while across the Atlantic was touching. “They really represented this country well and represented the musicians that they are,” said David.
Bringing Family Together
Stepping out of the normalcy of ordinary life to explore Europe for several weeks brought the French family closer together.
Stuart shared, “The scenery was great, the food was great, the culture was great – but being able to spend time with my dad and my sister – being able to share this experience with them – that’s definitely the best part of the trip.”
Traveling abroad as a family creates bonds that far outlast the trip. For the Frenches, the memories they created together were the highlight of their adventure. “It is worth the money, worth the waiting, worth the performance. It’s worth everything,” Willa emphasized.
“It’s priceless,” David added.
The Musicians Abroad Experience
David was impressed with how positively the organization of the itinerary impacted the European travel experience as a whole.
“With the way that Musicians Abroad had scheduled and planned the trip, it was stress-free. [We] didn’t have to worry about safety. We got to go and enjoy things without having to worry about what to schedule or plan.”
Rather than spending energy managing logistics, David felt that all of their energy could be spent enjoying the food, cultures and performances abroad. This left plenty of welcome opportunities for his family to connect with one another and other travelers. “Now we’re all part of a big family,” he concluded.
Click here for more information on how to travel with Musicians Abroad from your state or region.
