Submitted Photo A portion of the 360 Midwestern students who went on the Northern Musicians Abroad program trip to Europe are shown in front of the Matterhorn in Switzerland. The program gave them the opportunity to perform for crowds across Europe with their band, orchestra or choir.

Eleven Minot students were among 360 total musicians who traveled to Europe with the Northern Musicians Abroad program this summer. Students from North Dakota and Montana performed choir, band and orchestra music for area locals of England, France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany.

Students nominated for the trip are chosen by their respective directors based not only on their musicality, but their overall character. About 500 total students are nominated each year. After nomination, the students submit an audition take that consists of two contrasting solos and scales.

Minot students chosen to go on this year’s trip were Lexi Azure, Kaleb Buynak, Adyson Dahlgren, Madison Giffey, Codey Irwin, Leycadia Leier, Gavin Lynch, Kaitlyn Pellenwessel, Jovie Rafferty, Alyssa Tarasen and Ava Thuner.

“I would say, for most of the kids, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. Some kids might go back again but they aren’t going to go back on a trip like this,” said Jeremy Meinert, music educator at Minot North High School and group leader for the trip.

Aside from their performances, students were able to experience different cultures first hand and travel to well-known international attractions, such as the Matterhorn in Switzerland, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in London and the Eiffel Tower in France.

“They get exposure to a culture that is not their own – for them to see the world and get out of their day to day. A lot of these kids are from towns smaller than mine. They’re getting their eyes open and seeing other people and how they do things,” Meinert said.

Meinert said while the students were taking part in activities apart from performing concerts, such as having meals with Parisians in France, there wasn’t a cell phone in sight and said the disconnect from their phones was good for the students.

Meinert said many of the small towns these students are from have small bands or choirs with groups of students as low as 10. These trips are, for many students, the first time they have the opportunity to play or sing with such a large group of people.

This year some groups were so large many were split into two different groups as some venues didn’t have enough stage space for everybody to play or sing at once.

The Northern Musicians Abroad program’s trip takes place every two years.