Due to the C-word, I can count all of Nathan’s senior year concerts on one hand. And honestly, he wasn’t super excited about any of them. There was a plethora of reasons for his lack of enthusiasm, only a few of which were some crazy stressful social situations, not enough time to learn all the music due to school closures, and pressure about his choice to wear a mask when no one else was. This evening’s concert was the exception to that. This evening was Jazz Night, the end of year concert for the two jazz bands and the Vocal Jazz Choir, which was where Nathan fit in. And this concert, the one he has been looking forward to, almost didn’t happen.
Originally Jazz Night was supposed to be a super fancy catered dinner kind of event held at the high school. However, the ever-rising COVID numbers led to another round of cancelled events and Jazz Night was on the chopping block. The music teachers tried to move it outside to the bandstand at our newest city park, but the city gave them a hard no. With numbers on the rise, large gatherings were strictly off limits. Nathan was preparing for yet another disappointment when the news came that the concert at the bandstand had unexpectedly been given a green light. Apparently, the police officer assigned to the high school had seen how hard the kids had worked to prepare for the concert. He was also aware of how many things had been cancelled and how much the kids had lost that year. He had an extremely good rapport with the city and lobbied hard to get them to allow the concert to happen. His efforts were fruitful and although I’ve never met him and don’t even know his name, I’m so grateful for his efforts.
The band boosters did a quick about face and turned the fancy catered dinner into an outdoor event with live music, burgers and hot dogs, snow cones and other treats, and a silent auction. Honestly, it was so much more fun than a fancier event would have been. And due to the cost (the catered dinner would have been $50 per couple and the outdoor event was free with fundraising coming from the auction and all the treats and eats for sale), we were able to take the entire family. All the vocal numbers were accompanied by the advanced jazz band which was super fun for the singers. There were vocal jazz group numbers as well as a variety of solos and small ensembles featuring members of vocal jazz. Nathan participated in several ensembles and had a solo. He selected “Bei Mir Bist Du Shein,” a fantastic number. It was a crowd pleaser and earned him cheers and applause.
It was such a fun night for both audience and performers. Nathan enjoyed himself and came away with the performance high that has been lacking all year. The few other concerts he has had were so filled with stress that he didn’t get much enjoyment from them. But tonight was good for him. Vocal jazz has been his favorite choir by far this year, mostly because the music has been challenging and varied. And being able to actually perform was a boon, one that he does not take for granted. He is so grateful that this particular concert was not lost to COVID. I’m grateful too. It has been hard to watch him become increasingly more discouraged and downhearted as so many hopes for high school have been crushed by circumstances beyond his control. So one night, one magical night where the powers that be agreed to allow these kids to shine was a blessing.
Originally Jazz Night was supposed to be a super fancy catered dinner kind of event held at the high school. However, the ever-rising COVID numbers led to another round of cancelled events and Jazz Night was on the chopping block. The music teachers tried to move it outside to the bandstand at our newest city park, but the city gave them a hard no. With numbers on the rise, large gatherings were strictly off limits. Nathan was preparing for yet another disappointment when the news came that the concert at the bandstand had unexpectedly been given a green light. Apparently, the police officer assigned to the high school had seen how hard the kids had worked to prepare for the concert. He was also aware of how many things had been cancelled and how much the kids had lost that year. He had an extremely good rapport with the city and lobbied hard to get them to allow the concert to happen. His efforts were fruitful and although I’ve never met him and don’t even know his name, I’m so grateful for his efforts.
The band boosters did a quick about face and turned the fancy catered dinner into an outdoor event with live music, burgers and hot dogs, snow cones and other treats, and a silent auction. Honestly, it was so much more fun than a fancier event would have been. And due to the cost (the catered dinner would have been $50 per couple and the outdoor event was free with fundraising coming from the auction and all the treats and eats for sale), we were able to take the entire family. All the vocal numbers were accompanied by the advanced jazz band which was super fun for the singers. There were vocal jazz group numbers as well as a variety of solos and small ensembles featuring members of vocal jazz. Nathan participated in several ensembles and had a solo. He selected “Bei Mir Bist Du Shein,” a fantastic number. It was a crowd pleaser and earned him cheers and applause.
It was such a fun night for both audience and performers. Nathan enjoyed himself and came away with the performance high that has been lacking all year. The few other concerts he has had were so filled with stress that he didn’t get much enjoyment from them. But tonight was good for him. Vocal jazz has been his favorite choir by far this year, mostly because the music has been challenging and varied. And being able to actually perform was a boon, one that he does not take for granted. He is so grateful that this particular concert was not lost to COVID. I’m grateful too. It has been hard to watch him become increasingly more discouraged and downhearted as so many hopes for high school have been crushed by circumstances beyond his control. So one night, one magical night where the powers that be agreed to allow these kids to shine was a blessing.
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