Honored. Blessed. Jaw dropping. Just a few of the adjectives a group of undergraduate students from the Glenn Korff School of Music used to describe their emotions when finding out they would be traveling to China to perform and represent the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The Jazz Combo group includes Eric Hitt, Nicholas Johnson, John Kosch and Luke Thallas. Graduate student Masayoshi Ishikawa will oversee the group. They left bright and early Tuesday morning, May 20.
“When I was first told about the trip my jaw dropped and it took a few moments to think about the magnitude of this great opportunity,” Hitt said, who plays electric bass. “It has been quite a whirlwind of a process, so I don't think it will actually sink in until we are in China.”
Kosch, who plays piano, says it means a great deal to represent UNL across the world.
“I am extremely humbled by the chance to represent something that is much bigger than me,” Kosch said. “I am very blessed to have received this opportunity, and I thank God and everyone who is making the trip possible.”
Johnson, who is the group’s percussionist, said, “I was stunned when I first heard we were going to China. I couldn't believe that such an amazing opportunity was just weeks away.”
For trombonist Thallas, he needed to get his schedule and mind all put together.
“My first reaction was to call my parents and tell them, because a.) I was too excited to contain myself, and b.) I had to reschedule some oral surgery to account for the trip,” Thallas said. “My second reaction was to start practicing for the trip immediately - it was my way of dealing with the shock of being offered such an incredible opportunity.”
For half of them, it will be the first time traveling outside of the United States. Hitt has traveled to the Bahamas and Canada, neither Kosch or Johnson have left the country before, while Thallas has travelled out of the country a couple of times – taking a family vacation to Cancun, Mexico when he was seven and another to the Cayman Islands when he was a senior in high school. When Thallas was in the seventh grade, he travelled with the People to People Student Ambassador Program to Australia for a couple of weeks - a very eye-opening experience, he said.
“I have never traveled out of the country before,” Kosch said. “In fact, I am a Nebraska native, and I rarely even leave the state. I’m still getting used to flying -- the first time I traveled by plane was two years ago. Now I have to fly to the other side of the globe! I’m terrified and excited all at the same time.”
As of late last week, their schedule of performances in Xi’an wasn’t yet finalized but it was shaping up including performance at the Science Hall and the Tea House.
“I see this trip not only as a great musical opportunity, but also as a chance to uphold the superb reputation of the Glenn Korff School of Music, and the University as a whole,” Johnson said. “I see this chance as an amazing opportunity that carries with it the greatest of responsibilities.”
Thallas added, “I am incredibly honored to represent the Glenn Korff School of Music and the University of Nebraska in China, specifically Xi'an - I cannot be more grateful for getting asked to go on this trip, and I can’t wait to experience this culture (and music culture) that I have so little experience with.”
While Kosch said, “The other guys that are going are some of the best musicians I’ve had the pleasure of playing with. I couldn’t ask for a more rewarding musical experience if I tried.”
Besides performing at different venues, the group will also have a chance to take in the sights and sounds of China.
“I am looking forward to exploring Xi’an’s opera museum,” Kosch said. “I am fascinated by music of other cultures, because it is beautiful in a way that I have never experienced. Chinese opera has affected generations of people in the same way that I am affected by jazz; as a musician, I feel the need to acknowledge the significance of that fact, as well as an obligation to discover more about this great art.”
Johnson added, “I'm looking forward to everything about the trip! From the adrenaline rush of the first take-off out of Omaha, to the joy of playing music live in such an amazing place. It is hard to pick one thing to be most excited about!”
While Thallas said, “I’m most looking forward to two things - experiencing the music culture, and seeing all the sights that the city and surrounding areas have to offer (terra cotta warriors, museums, the Great Wall, the list goes on and on!). I really hope that I get a chance to make music with the students there!
“I’m really excited to be traveling with such a talented group - especially under the guidance of Masayoshi Ishikawa,” Thallas said. “I’m also really excited to try the local food there!”
--Brian Reetz, Glenn Korff School of Music