Truly Random

I attended the All-County Honor Band performance tonight.

While it is a fact that I am a cultural giant and am well versed in when to applaud politely and when to stare coldly at the Philistine who breaks into clapping during the intermezzo, I generally only attend these events by invitation.

In this case, the invitation was from my niece and her family and was greatly appreciated. After all, their family has certainlly attended their share of MY kid's performances and turnabout is more than fair play, it is totally just.

The kids and their instruments had TWO whole days to pull the music together, not including the private time with chapped lips at home.

The end result was astonishing. Now, I am totally going to tell you that I have seldom heard a better performance. You have every right to disagree. But I tell you that the emotion and fervor of the musicians was indeed an attribution to how they perform 'when they are at home' in their various band programs across the county.

The guest conductor made a profound statement by saying that in our world there is a lot wrong with kids today but that the ones there in that concert were NOT part of what was wrong.

And he was absolutely right.

Those kids took what they could do and together magnified it into a wonderful evening of music that speaks volumes of who they are when the spotlight isn't shining on them. It also says a great deal about their choices to rehearse when their friends may have been encouraging them to make other choices entirely.

So to the people in the Honor Band, I salute you and congratulate you on your accomplishments as individuals and a group...

And on a personal note to my niece, YOU ROCK!!!