Cape High musicians taking talents to Europe

Cape High musicians, rising seniors and twin brothers Darius and Adonest Weldon are set to take their talents overseas this summer by playing with American Music Abroad.

Mother Sandra Dean Weldon said her boys have dreamed of being musicians since they could speak.

“They declared that their music is going to change the world, and I believe them,” Sandra said. 

Trumpeter Darius and trombonist Adonest began their musical careers as Shields Elementary students.

“I was intrigued with the slide mechanism since I was young, and I fell in love with it in fifth grade,” Adonest said. “I always wanted to stick with a horn, because horns make everything, in my opinion.”

Darius said he grew up listening to jazz with his mother and grandmother, who loved Louis Armstrong.

“Jazz is top-tier music, something you see and hear,” Darius said. “I love the way it looks and sounds, the way [musicians] move and act on stage. They feel it; they’re not just playing it. They are the music.”

The brass-playing brothers say they complement each other. With trumpet carrying the melody and trombone providing the bass, they always have someone to back them up.

“We can play together,” Darius said.

“It really works in our favor,” Adonest added.

So far, the brothers have played with the band at Sydney’s Restaurant & Lounge, the Rehoboth Bandstand and Epworth United Methodist Church. A highlight last summer was performing for Gov. John Carney as part of a youth band group.

Darius and Adonest said they learned about American Music Abroad after performing at the last Cape High football game this past fall, when Assistant Band Director Brian Mahoney provided information about the opportunity.

It sounded like a cool experience, but also really expensive, the brothers said, so they simply left the paperwork on a table for their mother to find. 

They laughed, recalling she was “a little mad” they didn’t ask her straight out, but the super-supportive mom found a way to make it happen, and Darius and Adonest were accepted to the program.

From June 21 to July 10, the Weldon brothers will perform in six concerts in Belgium, Austria, France, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium.

Darius and Adonest will also experience the culture of the lands where they travel. Expeditions include a tour of the Alps and Hintertux Glacier, Königsberg Castle and Salzburg Salt Mines; a visit to the Dauchau Concentration Camp, a boat trip on the Rhine River; and the Tyrolean Folkfest.

The trip costs $5,600 per person, and donations are being accepted to supplement costs. To donate to the students’ fund, call Bruce Rickert at 610-431-3311.

For more information, go to americanmusicabroad.com.