Performance time

In what I'm learning is a very robust arts program in Neenah, we were treated to another performance of Caroline's middle school band. In fact, we had the chance to hear the entire array of band levels at the every-other-year Band-O-Rama!
I had been joking with Shauna about having escaped beginner band concerts by virtue of moving to Wisconsin in the middle of Caroline's first year of band, landing in a district that starts band in 5th grade. Alas, here was the moment when I would be subjected to the beginners. I was pleasantly surprised, though, to find that even the youngest players were impressive for their short time learning!

For such a small town, there is incredible participation in the band program:
From 5th grade to 12th grade, they filled the gym, playing their selections one after another. I think it's a terrific idea; the kids get to hear where they came from and where they're going, depending on their perspective. They also get to be a part of something bigger, and understand where they fit in the big picture of the school music program.

I will admit - I thoroughly enjoyed it, from the youngest to the oldest, with my favorite part probably being the entry of the drumline for the high school band. How many years it's been since I've had that thumping rhythm in my chest, and it got me so excited to see Caroline progress all the way to marching band! Until then, I'll be the mom who slightly embarrasses her by insisting on a picture after the concert - because these moments are fleeting and I want to be able to remember them!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim, Part 4 - the climb out (Bright Angel Trail)

Image
the GRCA GRLS after crossing the Colorado River - Sunday, September 16th, 2018 Sunday morning, the alarm went off... and it was a simultaneous chorus of HOLY MONKEYS MY LEGS AND FEET ARE KILLING ME!! I honestly am not sure how we actually got out of the beds... all of the body was screaming. All of it. Shannon had us all supplied with Motrin, thank goodness, so we rucked up and headed out. NATURALLY! What else would West Point Women do?! First stop was the canteen, where a full, hot and delicious breakfast was ready for us to sit down family style. A little throw back to our cadet days, eating with strangers and shoveling in the food as fast as we could! coffee for energy! Thank goodness Melissa kept pushing us to get going early both days to avoid the heat as much as possible - in fact, we had to use our headlamps on Sunday morning for the first 15-20 minutes or so. Our headlamps had the side benefit of illuminating not just our path but the wildlife, to
Read more

Living the Wisconsin Life

Image
Much to my surprise, I live in Wisconsin. This isn't a place I would've put on a list of likely destinations or homesteads, if pressed to do so at some point in my life. Even more to the point, when originally presented with the career opportunity that would eventually bring us here, I spent a few months emphatically stating that "it sounds great, but I'm never moving to Wisconsin." Ahhh, the quintessential Famous Last Words. Our timing might have been better; we moved here right as the seasons were turning to fall and now winter, so we have yet to experience the moderate nature of the climate up north. In fact, the arctic blast of the last few weeks has had me say on several occasions, why do people live here? Why in the world did the original settlers stay? My favorite answer yet to that question - because it's A Sunnier Version of Sweden. You see, the heritage of this area is quite Scandinavian. The hardy folks of the countries close to the top of t
Read more

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim, Part 1 - what it takes to get there

Image
We visited Grand Canyon National Park as a family about a year and a half ago, spending Spring Break 2017 in Arizona including several days marveling at a true natural wonder of the worl d. As just one stop on the family vacation, we did some day hiking, heading down the South Kaibab trail to an overlook with a spectacular view. As much as I love our family photo, there isn't a camera in the world that can capture the grandeur of the Grand Canyon. As with many of my vacations and experiences, when I came home I wanted to know more, so I checked out books from the library. I read about the geology and the formation of this incredible part of the United States, but I also read about the hiking and backpacking in the area. The small spark of an idea that had begun on this trip, when I snuck in one more short walk down the Bright Angel trail so that I could hike a bit more of the Canyon, began to grow into a flame, then eventually into a fire in my heart: I wanted to try to hike R
Read more