If someone told high schoolers Alex Dooley, Rudolph Patrick and Julian Sierra a few months ago that they would get the opportunity to visit Paris – the City of Lights, home of architectural marvels like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame – they probably wouldn’t have believed them. 

But on Oct. 18, the three teens, along with 13 other students from the Detroit school district, boarded a plane at Detroit Metro Airport and made the trip across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. 

This marks the first time Dooley, Patrick and Sierra have been to Paris and for Patrick and Sierra, the first time leaving the country. All three were experiencing a mix of nervousness and excitement. 

“I was a little nervous because I didn’t know anybody, and it was gonna be my first international trip,” Sierra, an 11th grader from Cass Technical High School, told BridgeDetroit from a Paris restaurant Wednesday. “Then I got here, I met the people and they were really nice. It’s a great opportunity to be here.” 

The teens were afforded the experience by being members of Detroit Public Schools Community District’s All-City Marching Band, an ensemble made up of students from high schools across the city, such as Cass Tech, Martin Luther King Jr., Detroit School of Arts and Renaissance. The U.S. Embassy invited the band to participate in Detroit Salon, a new arts initiative that highlights the Detroit area as an emerging global art hub, as well as attracting new visitors to discover Detroit’s art scene. 

The effort includes an international arts tour, with three exhibitions featured at the Art Basel fair in Paris, running from Friday to Sunday. The program was founded by Detroit arts and culture organization Salonnière in partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Visit Detroit, CultureSource, TechTown and the Michigan Municipal League Foundation. 

Andrew McGuire, the deputy executive director of DPSCD’s office of fine and performing arts, said the opportunity for the band to be part of Detroit Salon came through a Detroit Schools of Arts alumni who is part of the program. But it was a quick turnaround to get everything ready for the trip. 

“We had about a month and a half to get things through all of the approvals – principals approved, teachers approved,” he said. “All the steps to make sure that the students are not only willing and able to go, but also supported in going.” 

The department also had to seek permission from the school board, which approved the trip during a September meeting. After that, things went into overdrive, with an application going out to students the day after board approval, McGuire said. 

“We were just skyrocketing from there,” he said. “We held information sessions for students and parents. All students that applied were able to be welcomed into the trip.” 

Funding for the trip was covered by Detroit Salon through a mix of public and private donors, McGuire said. The students returned home on Oct. 26.

Playing with a Detroit techno legend 

After landing in Paris, the marching band almost immediately went into rehearsal mode. They have performed twice on their trip: Monday at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to France, Hôtel de Pontalba, and Thursday at art museum Palais de Tokyo, alongside Detroit techno pioneer Carl Craig and jazz and techno artist Jon Dixon, McGuire said. 

The band performed Craig’s 1991 song, “No More Words,” an uptempo track full of synthesizers, drums and congas. The song has since been remastered and was released on streaming services for the first time earlier this year. 

“John Dixon was the person who bridged the marching band sound into the techno music,” McGuire said. 

Patrick, a senior at Mumford High School and snare drum player for the band, said rehearsing and performing with Craig and Dixon was a great experience and expanded his musical ability. 

Sierra also enjoyed the experience playing with the techno artists. He’s a tuba player for the band.

“He’s someone from Detroit that became pretty big, and having the opportunity to meet him and be able to play with him was great,” Sierra said. 

Being on an international stage  

In between rehearsals, the band has also been able to fit in some sightseeing. Visits to the Eiffel Tower and church Basilica of Sacré Cœur de Montmartre were made, as well as a walk along the Seine River. 

“We came back (to the Eiffel Tower) when it was nighttime and it was lighting up,” said Dooley, a senior at Renaissance and trumpet player. “We got some really cool pictures with that because it started sparkling.” 

Meanwhile, Patrick can’t get enough of the food. 

“I really like the food out here,” he said. “On the first night, Mr. McGuire got us crepes. The strawberry jam out here is immaculate. I love it.” 

As the band’s Paris adventure comes to a close, Dooley said the All-City Marching Band has been able to bring a Detroit vibe to the city. 

“We’re really bringing something different here,” she said. “We were practicing in a park and people were surrounding us, watching and clapping.” 

Patrick added that after practice, a man came up to him and asked how long was the band going to be rehearsing. 

“It’s just a good experience to see people smiling at what we worked so hard for,” he said. 

“It’s really good to be out here representing Detroit because not many people know Detroit,” Sierra added. “And introducing what we do gets them really excited and puts a smile on their face. It makes us happy to make them happy.” 

Meanwhile, McGuire said it’s incredible that an organization like Salonnière wanted to put the band on an international stage. 

“We’re bringing this HBCU style of marching band to a city that doesn’t have an HBCU and introducing people that maybe haven’t heard that style or don’t know what it is for the first time,” he said. “Now this is a generation of students and soon-to-be graduates and professionals out in the world that know that this is possible and can make it happen. The path is open for them to do what they want to do with this experience and anything they take from it.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated since publication to clarify the funding source for the trip.