2 Roy-Hart string musicians perform in European tour

Press Release, Roy-Hart Central School

Provided photo: Crystalina Baumer and Abigail Glyshaw, both string musicians, were part of a music tour in Europe.

MIDDLEPORT – Two Royalton-Hartland string students participated in a European music tour, sponsored by American Music Abroad over the summer of 2023.

Crystalina Baumer (Graduate of Roy-Hart Class of 2023) played the cello in the orchestra and sang in the chorus. Abigail Glyshaw (Roy-Hart Class of 2025) played the viola in the orchestra.

Student musicians for the American Music Abroad Program are carefully selected on the basis of recommendations from their high school music teachers and/or musical achievement demonstrated on audition recordings. Musicians convene at a college for a pre-tour orientation and rehearsal session which include an introduction to European art and architecture, as well as guidelines for touring in Europe.

The focus of the American Music Abroad tour is trifold: musical, cultural and educational, based on the belief that music is truly an “international language.” While performing in Europe, the concerts provide a basis to bridge the gap between languages and culture so that, at least on the musical level, the participants and audience connect and communicate. The numerous cultural and educational experiences built into the tour range from folkloric evening to visits to castles and World War II concentration camps.

“My trip with American Music Abroad this summer was life changing and I came home as a better musician with experiences I’ll never forget,” said Abigail Glyshaw. “I got to learn so much about the local culture and history of the places I visited, including Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria. As a group, we rehearsed for hours on end, which was reflected in how well everyone played and sang during our concerts. I had the amazing opportunity to better myself not only as a musician, but also as a person. I came home more mature, worldly, and with unforgettable memories of the trip that I was so lucky to be able to go on.”

“The universality of music is a concept often spoken about, but that idea gained a whole new meaning for me after traveling with American Music Abroad,” Crystalina Baumer said. “The music we made connected us to the European locals in a way that would not be possible on a typical tour. The locals had a certain joy at our arrival in each location which seemed to grow when we began playing or singing songs. When performing surrounded by peers, who may not have known each other prior, you could see a greater spark in our musicianship due to the contagiousness of our audiences’ enthusiasm. In these moments, traveling became so much more than new places and people. It morphed into the joining of people from near and far with the power of one commonality. The beauty of the places I saw on this trip will live on in my memories, but the hospitality and joy shared will exist in the music I make from now on.”

For more information on American Music Abroad, click here.