Young Americans turn up the music at RAF Alconbury

  • Published
  • By Capt. Brian Maguire
  • 501st Combat Support Wing Public Affairs
RAF ALCONBURY, United Kingdom --  More than 170 elementary, middle and high school students rocked out during a two-day workshop put on by The Young Americans at RAF Alconbury Middle/High School Feb. 27 through March 1.

The workshop culminated in a two-hour performance at the AMHS gym, showcasing the student's talents and thanking the community for inviting The Young Americans.

"The Young Americans perform the first act as like a gift back to the kids for all their hard work, and as a gift to the community for sharing their kids with us, "said Tina Reynolds, The Young Americans associate director. "Then the kids perform in the second act. It's all them, they're the stars of the show, they do all the solos."

The Young Americans started in 1962 to promote music education and offer performance opportunities to young people around the world, Reynolds said. There are three different tours running concurrently in Japan, the United States and Europe, and tours have previously visited Russia, South Africa and China.

"We put together a show that we take around the world probably for about three years, and then we change it up and take another show, so this is actually a brand new show," said Reynolds.

Hosting The Young Americans required a lot of work and coordination behind the scenes. Families opened their homes to The Young American performers to stay, the schools coordinated workshop and units across the installation provided volunteers and technical assistance to help the show go off without a hitch.

"It was great interacting with the young men - they were polite, articulate and a genuine joy to have in the house," said Chaplain (Maj.) Eugene Theisen, 423rd Air Base Group Installation Chaplain, who hosted several Young Americans. "It was great to see our kids enthused and involved in such a worthwhile project - one of the young lady's songs brought a tear to the corner of my eye."

Support from the 423rd Force Support Squadron was vital, as they had a Young American alumnus championing the effort.

"The Young Americans made a difference in my life," said Stephanie Burgess, wife of Lt. Col. Cornell Burgess, and a Young American alumni. "When I was a teenager, I learned a lot of things from them, and one of them was self-confidence, and that never goes away whatever career you choose, and I want that for our military kids."

Connecting the Young Americans with military families was a proud moment for Burgess, because it felt like her two families were coming together. Sitting in the workshop and watching the children grow was the end of a long desire for her.

"I've been talking about them for years, and it just blesses my heart that the families here are getting to see their kids perform, and that they'll walk away feeling so proud," she said.

To build interest in the workshop, the Young Americans stopped by RAF Alconbury a week before their scheduled arrival and put on a surprise performance at the high school. That performance excited not just the children but the Young Americans as well.

"When we arrived last week there was an energy, an electricity, here," said Reynolds. "We've been looking forward to coming back here for a week and we've been welcomed with open arms."

The excitement fed into the workshop, creating a memorable experience for both the children and the Young Americans.

"It's incredible because it feels like the beginning of something really new - it's definitely been memorable and very exciting," said Reynolds. "We've felt very at home and the kids here have been absolutely amazing."