Music Festival is Fun!

This past week has been a whirlwind and time for blogging has been short. I added an extra component to my week visiting the Woodstock Rotary Music Festival for six different sessions. What an experience.

My prime reason for doing this is to hear kids I know such as my three nephews who are 9, 13, and 16. They all did well singing and/or playing the piano whether the adjudicator thought so or not. Watching young people do their best is a pretty exhilarating experience. It's as though they are primed to sing just for me and their intense desire to excel is intoxicating. Also I am transported back to the times I was on the stage doing the same thing and my memories of that are good, but I fiind sitting and listening just as much fun these days.

The sixteen-year-old was in 19 classes this year but never seemed to be worrying or rushing around. He was completely relaxed. My favorite for him was on Wednesday night when he was in seven classes. Their high school put in about six groups and Daniel was in three of them, placing first, second, and third all in the same class! Very cool. He also sang in our Cantabile Men's Choir singing two numbers and in the combined choirs of Woodstock Cantabile Singers, singing two more. I loved the men's choir numbers. There are only four of them but they sing with such heart and gusto you'd think there were twice as many. ( I sing in the Cantabile Women's Choir--the 'Chicks'--and love it!)

Also in Cantabile Men's Choir was my middle nephew, Adam. He has made the transition from boy to man in his singing, an interesting thing to watch. His best class for me was Friday when he sang a number from a musical I didn't know, about the American Civil War and the fact that brother fought against brother. He was totally in character--musical theatre class--and captured the essence of that awful struggle in his motions, his singing and his demeanor. I was transfixed and even though the adjudicator did not place him in the top three, for me, his performance was a winner because of the emotion he evoked in the audience. Good for you, Adam.

Bringing a smile again to my lips is the youngest who sang and played in classes I didn't see, even getting a first. I did see a musical theatre one where Noah was one of the seven dwarfs. How cute he was, dressed in his leotards, his huge red jockey shorts stuffed to make him fat and his jaunty hat over his white bearded face. (I got to help him take it off without having the glue pull his skin off, too!) Anyhow he sang well and enjoyed every moment. His exuberance is infectious making him a real performer--on stage as well as off--and his Cantabile Youth Choir participation has progressed to the point where he is a real asset, watching the director (his mother) and singing well.

So my week has been busy but very rewarding. Thanks to all those festival participants for putting on such a great show!