If

you're looking for the Fayette County High School

Band during Friday's 2000 Olympics opening

ceremonies, they'll be in the upper left, back

corner of the forms, according to band director

Kenny Beard's recent e-mail.

The

160-member contingent also can be spotted during

the parade of athletes as the "Red

Band," farthest right among the bands in

line, Beard added.

The

Fayette musicians will be wrapping up their trip

Down Under this weekend, following their

participation in the opening extravaganza in

Stadium Australia. The students and their

chaperones have kept up a steady stream of e-mail

and phone calls to the folks at home, since their

departure Aug. 31.

With

the exception of chilly temperatures, a few head

colds and some long waits during dress

rehearsals, the kids and adults are having a

fantastic time, based on the messages received.

They have also been warmly welcomed by the

Australians.

In

an article in the Sydney Morning Herald during

the torch run, Ian Warden wrote: "A

wonderful 160-piece U.S. marching band, the

Fayette County High School Band from Atlanta

[sic], marched into the melee and becoming a band

50 meters long with a conductor every 10 meters

or so, arranged itself along the narrow path the

torch would take when Bishop Power [torch bearer]

skipped into view. `Cold doesn't worry us! Rain

doesn't worry us! But the wind is difficult

'cause it takes our sound away,' the enthusiastic

leader told us.

"But

he needn't have bothered. This band with the

curious tone, bassoons, flutes and sousaphones

(there were five sousaphones, giant brass

instruments that circle the body like a brass

python) gave Advance Australia Fair an eerily

beautiful quality I had never given it credit for

possessing... The band's version of `Star

Spangled Banner' and `your unofficial national

anthem, "Waltzing Matilda"' were just

as exciting."

Practice

and study time has been spent in Bathhurst at

Charles Sturt University, which has been

transformed into "Bandtown" for 2,000

Olympic musicians. Chaperone Philip Foster wrote,

"When the band finally performed `Ode to

Joy,' the Olympic tune and `Also Sprach,' the

locals were on their feet and cheering. One man

yelled, `You are awesome.'

"It

is truly inspiring to see 2,000 young musicians

marching and playing such intricate patterns and

complex music. The locals were also concerned

about the band students being cold. They held a

clothing drive and collected a small mountain of

jackets, coats, sweaters, hats and gloves and

delivered them to the university. We have to

recognize the town in some way after we return to

the U.S."

Word

from the students has focused more on the sights

and their interactions with fellow musicians from

around the world. Austin Bergstrom wrote,

"The Japanese people crack me up. They're

the coolest people I think I've ever met. It's

not what they do that is so funny, they're just

fun to be around."

Another

unnamed student wrote home, "Boy, is it

cold! It even started raining this morning during

practice, speaking of which, I stand between two

cute Italian guys, but they're older..."

By

phone, Nikki White reported a wild kangaroo

sighting to her mom, Pam, and noted that toilets

flush differently in Australia - a half

flush and a full flush.

Chaperone

Gail Cribbs writes, "We are having a

fabulous time. The Australian people are so

friendly and are really glad that we're here.

They are eager to talk to us and to welcome us to

their country."

And

to moms worried about their young travelers'

appearance and studies, Jan Bankieris writes,

"Everyone has clean clothing. We're checking

their homework and squeezing in time to

study."

There

is a chance that Beard and several students may

show up on NBC or MSNBC in the next few days. He

was contacted by Tom Varrato, a reporter with

"NBC Sports Online" MSNBC Sports.com who

is hosting a daily webcast. So stay tuned -

you may see some familiar Fayette faces.

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