Today I am happy to share a guest blog from Jim Watson ‘79. His story is a great example of the ways that West Virginia Wesleyan faculty, opportunities, creativity, and friendship blend together to change lives and to provide memories that last a lifetime. It also shows that both faculty and students arrive as Dreamers, and many become Giants. It echoes the blog published on DreamersAndGiants in November 2019 about this remarkable group and their reunion many years later. Many heartfelt stories like this were shared during that event!
A Trip Worth Remembering, by Jim Watson, ‘79
It was over forty years ago, but it seems like just yesterday……
A TRIP WORTH REMEMBERING
How does a Wesleyan memory start?
It starts with a faculty member and his dream.
When David Milburn came to Wesleyan in the mid sixties I’m sure he was already thinking on how he could make the student experience really unique.
He began by talking several students into creating a jazz ensemble.
As Wesleyan’s music programs began to evolve, so did this little band of brothers and sisters.
As word about this group began to spread around the eastern United States, this little group of musicians sought to share the feeling of jazz to other circles and to other places.
Tours to other states and other regions gave Mr. Milburn and these musicians experience in entertaining people as they studied their major courses for adulthood.
The eventual journeys to behind the Iron Curtain came with some marketing and pushing by those with influence.
First were tours to Romania and then Poland.
And then……..
This musician came to West Virginia Wesleyan College with a dream of becoming a band director.
After suffering a broken hand and enduring struggles in his first year at college he gave that dream up and became an education major.
But he was recruited into this band of brothers and sisters.
For four years jazz was learned and played, and tours were booked and made successful.
Diplomats these folks were; for the college and for West Virginia.
They all made friends while doing their normal classwork, and they rehearsed and rehearsed, preparing for journeys around the East Coast.
One trip was to Disney World; they played in the park on a stage that came up from under the ground, close to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
Another took them to the capital city of the country itself,
And onto the steps of the U.S. Capitol building.
They got to throw frisbees on the Mall lawn and play for those who run our country.
Meanwhile this “student and musician” had to stay another semester after changing his major.
Education classes were added and some summer school included. Mr. Milburn left for one year to complete some of his doctorate courses, leaving the band to fend for themselves. They did their best with a stand-in director.
But “Doctor Dave” had a plan: he needed the band to keep working, and we did.
At the end of the spring ’78 semester this student got a phone call. It was David Milburn.
“Jim, I need you to stay a full year. I’ll get you the financial aid you’ll need for the additional semester. I’m planning on taking the band to Romania.”
Romania?
Behind the Iron Curtain, well sort of. And we would need to keep things together until he got back.
And so we did.
The long summer of ’78 flowed into the fall of that year, and the announcement was made.
Wesleyan would be sending their international troubadours overseas once more!
Each family received a letter like this one. Excitement grew as each band member spread the word.
Classmates, Greek brothers and sisters, good friends would be told about the trip and the need for extra funds.
There would be no need to worry; Wesleyan and its community came together to send these folks on their mission to spread the love of music and to be good ambassadors for the college and for the United States as well.
The band rehearsed and rehearsed. They became closer than ever. And the school year proceeded; after all classwork would have to be completed first.
This student musician would graduate, taking a bit longer than first anticipated.
He would miss graduation; we would be in Europe at that time.
No worries; this trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The disappointment of breaking a hand and changing majors was dampened by the realization that staying longer would fulfill a dream worth living. Europe, and Romania specifically, were waiting for us.
The Transylvanian Alps, the Black Sea, and yes, Dracula’s Castle, were all venues on this memorable trip. Everyone would enjoy.
But the main event was playing the music.
Everywhere we went, enthusiastic crowds showed up and clapped for these West Virginia troubadours. We presented the listeners with jazz music like they had never heard before.
Music chosen just for entertaining.
We ate and drank and played and slept, but each experience increased our enthusiasm of playing for these Romanians.
And in the end, we seniors got to celebrate our graduation on the Black Sea!
And then, it was over. Our last stop was next to the tour bus and a composite photo with everyone included. I’m in the back on the right side, sticking my head over someone’s shoulder, barely able to see.
And then we were back to New York, and in a short trip from there, back to Buckhannon, on Wesleyan’s campus again.
For this student who was now a graduate, it was bittersweet.
Looking around, noticing no people or no familiar faces, the realization was that it was all over.
College life, jazz ensemble life, the life of a Bobcat.
It was now finished. Dr. Milburn had made it happen.
Now, why write this story?
I can tell you the nature of life and what came after college.
It would not do justice to what was learned.
All I know is that at Wesleyan I was given a chance to live something I now can only dream of; a night looking out the window of a Black Sea hotel and thinking about what was beyond the sea.
Wesleyan gave me that chance. It was worth any amount of work and toil that was done in order to prepare. All of the rehearsing and all of those sleepless nights.
I think the others I shared this trip with will say the same.
It was a trip worth having; a trip worth remembering; here it is, in as much detail as there is room for and to let you read.
That is Wesleyan. That is West Virginia Wesleyan College.
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