Issue date: 3/15/07 Section: Campus News

Media Credit: Andrea Pendergast The Ireland Concert Band performs "Dance Sequence" with guest conductor Phil Ostrander at their send off concert Wednesday in Gantner Concert Hall of Haas Fine Arts Center.

Sixty-five student ambassadors left for Ireland this morning, but not to negotiate foreign policy. Instead they will help cultivate positive relationships abroad through musical performance, said Mark Heidel, director of bands and associate professor of music.

These students comprise UW-Eau Claire's Ireland Concert Band, which was created specifically to tour Ireland during the week of St. Patrick's Day.

After performing a St. Patrick's Day concert in Haas Fine Arts Center Wednesday evening, they will perform Friday at St. Patrick's Music Festival, Dublin, and Tuesday at St. Nicholas Church, Galway. The trip will wrap up with two days of sightseeing in London and the band will return March 23.

Junior flautist Katie Salo said she has high expectations of the trip and is looking forward to representing Eau Claire and the United States overseas.

"It's kind of an honor to do something like that," she said. "Eau Claire is really known for its music department. To be able to showcase that in other places will really represent the university."

The woodwind, brass and percussion ensemble features both music majors and non-majors, Heidel said. They have been practicing weekly since the beginning of September.

They will perform American and Irish favorites to honor both musical traditions, he said.

Heidel will conduct the majority of the performances, but assistant music professor Phillip Ostrander will also conduct.

Heidel said the trip was inspired by a similar tour he participated in as a student at University of Illinois to southern England.

"I wanted to make sure as a teacher here in Eau Claire that I made the same opportunities available to my students to travel internationally," he said. "This will be a trip they will likely remember for the rest of their lifetime."

The trip will be a valuable experience because it will expose the students to Irish and English people, culture and music, Heidel said.

"This kind of does that in a nutshell," he said.

Heidel first brought UW-Eau Claire student musicians abroad in 2002 and said he hopes to plan similar trips in the future.

Junior bass trombonist Josh Becker said he is most looking forward to spending time with friends while "making great music in great places," especially in the historical cathedrals.

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