About 45 members of the West Bend High School Marching Band will spend their spring break in Greece. Band director Leah Duckert said the WBHS Marching Band takes a trip like this one every three years.
"It's exhilarating. It's also nerve wracking, because we're doing all the last-minute preparations," she said. "I'm so excited for my students...A lot of them have never been on a plane before, much less out of the country."
Duckert said the school doesn't pay any of the costs ($3,000 per student) of the trip. But band members did have opportunities to fundraise.
While in Greece, the group will travel to various historical sites on the mainland. They'll visit Greek municipalities like Athens, Olympia, Nafplio, and Nafpaktos.
"I'm really excited to see all the architecture there," said sophomore Connor Goetz. "It's going to be a great experience."
The band will also participate in two performances. One of them will be along with a band from Greece.
"Music brings people together," Duckert said. "It truly is an international language."
"Even though we might not understand each other, we can still play the same music," said senior Cayla Lepak.
Duckert said she hopes the trip will encourage students to keep traveling, and exploring new places, as they move forward through life.
The students leave for Greece on Saturday which is, fittingly, Greek Independence Day.
