By Shanna Hafemann, ICS music faculty

Before August 2022, the last time I was in a school, I was a student. A nervous wreck, I entered ICS on my first day, a teacher. I handed out the syllabus to my first class and shakingly asked if there were any questions. Several hands shot up, and the question was asked, as if no other questions mattered, “Is there going to be a Tour this year?” All other hands went down.

ICS Music Tour is a long standing, dearly cherished, highly anticipated tradition at ICS. I remember answering that student with an emphatic “yes!” all the while having no idea what “Music Tour” actually meant. So I started my research. I spent a handful of class periods discussing with students their most memorable moments and their favorite traditions. I attended several meetings trying to understand the financial and schedule constraints. I looked up prior year’s plans and yet I still struggled to find a way to clearly define what ICS’s annual Music Tour actually was. So, with the little bit of knowledge I had acquired, a phenomenal co-planner, Amy Florell, and the tiniest bit of hope, we created something, having no idea if it would live up to the expectations of this beloved tradition.

This year, Tour was designed with two priorities in mind: service and connection. The first two days of Tour were spent serving our local community. Sunday we performed for the Rescue Mission and Valley Behavioral Health, where we were able to hold an intimate, sensory-friendly concert for those who might struggle to attend a larger event. On Monday, we hosted a music therapy program where our own pre-kindergarteners and a group of individuals with various disabilities were invited to attend (pictured above). As we researched and planned the event, we discovered that there was much we did not know or understand about people living with disabilities and their families. The biggest insight we gained is that their community is grossly undeserved. Many people misunderstand or are unsure of how to interact around people with disabilities and many facilities and families lack the resources and knowledge to adequately accommodate them. As we held our event, I looked around and observed my students connecting, including, and empowering other human beings using something they loved, music. As one of my students so eloquently summarized the experience, “On Tours in the past, we would always have to leave the people we made connections with and wait a year to show love to them again. That was so painful. We don’t have to do that anymore, because the people we connected with this week are right here in our own hometown.” This community is one that I hope to continue to serve through Music Tour and other ICS music events. 

The second two days were used to explore how we could use music to connect with each other, with ourselves, and with God. We played several games that pushed us out of our comfort zone, including a musical TikTok challenge. Needless to say, I have some incriminating evidence for how hilarious these students can be. We took time to worship together and allowed a couple of local pastors to speak into our lives. But even with all these special moments, there is still one I have yet to let you in on. I challenged the kids to get vulnerable, to get honest, and to get creative in a songwriting session. Imagine with me. You are in a large cabin with big glass windows and vaulted ceilings. The snow is falling outside and a tea kettle is heating on the stove. In one corner, a girl is humming and pauses to write out a lyric. A young man is strumming the guitar on a couch, while a piano is being learned in another corner. Someone else is editing loops on their laptop, while others retreat to a secluded place to write or sing out their thoughts. The last evening, several students were brave enough to perform their work. During many of the songs, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. In just a few phrases and with a whole lot of vulnerability, we were able to glorify our God, empathize with our peers, and understand one another on a deeper level.

So, I survived my first Music Tour. How fortunate I am to lead this amazing group of students. After all this, I still can’t describe to you what it means to experience an ICS Music Tour. However, I can define why ICS’s Music Tour is so unique. Music is the tool we use, the commonality we each hold, both with our peers and our audiences. Tour is the journey God takes us on as we take the time to serve His beloved, lean into those around us, and learn what next steps He calls us to faithfully walk with Him.