Performing Girls

Tonight Z2 and Kiki Aru performed in a band concert. This concert is fun because it has all the band student in the Kellogg School District performing. First we heard from the 5th grade band, then the 6th grade band, then Kiki Aru performed in the 7th and 8th grade band (she played the cymbals and saxophone, and Z2 played in the high school concert band, and she played the flute. It was a wonderful concert, with standing room only in the KMS gym.

PKR's brother KR and our neice KR arrived today from Nampa to be with us a few days for their spring break. KR's wife LR and other neice TR will be flying up to Spokane for a volleyball tournament this weekend, so we hopefully will be all together sometime this weekend.

The Princess has her opening night tomorrow night at the Lake City Playhouse in Coeur d'Alene. She is playing Miss Spider in "James and the Giant Peach". We are going to see her on Friday night. I can't wait!!! (Click on the giant peach on the right for more information).

Friday spring break begins. Maybe I'm putting too much stock in the healing properties of spring break, but I'm looking forward to it anyway. I need some rest...emotional, physical and spiritual rest...and I hope to get some next week.

In my Bible reading yesterday, I read this verse in the book of James. Lord, help me to live like this each and every day.

"But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritsm and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness." James 2: 17-18

Music Through The Years--A Simple Gift

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

I thought of the words to this song "Simple Gifts" as I heard my daughter Z2's band play it tonight at the Kellogg All School Band Concert at Kellogg Middle School tonight.

Tonight's concert was a simple gift.

I really enjoy watching my daughters learn to play an instrument and perform in a band concert.

Tonight was Kiki Aru's debut band concert. She plays the alto saxaphone, and her fifth grade band from Sunnyside Elementary combined with other fifth grade band members from Pinehurst Elementary and Canyon School to perform "Frere Jacques", "Sawmill Creek" and "Louie, Louie".



They sounded great.

There is Kiki Aru playing the sax (the one with the purple arrow above her head).




Then Z2 played the flute as the 7th and 8th grade band played "March of the Irish Guard".





She made her percussion debut playing the triangle on "Shaker Variants", the song that provoked this blog post.





We also were entertained by the 6th grade band playing "Korean Hill Song", "Ancient Moon" and two drummers were awesome as the band played "Wipe Out".

The Kellogg High School band played "Chant Rituals", and "Haven Dance".

The final performance was from the Jazz Band as they played "Caution: Contents Under Pressure", "Sax to the Max", "Backburner" and "Play That Funky Music".

Rick Dickinson, the band director for the past 25 years in Kellogg does a great job with the band students and tonights concert was a testimony to the great work he does.

I graduated from KHS in 1981, and I believe he was hired the following year, and has been there ever since.

I am so glad my daughters are following in my band footsteps. I played the flute just like Z2. I started out in 5th grade with Wayne Benson as my band instructor through 9th grade at Kellogg Junior High. When I went to Kellogg High School, my band and choir teacher was Al Taylor.

I have some great memories of being in band. When I went to college at the University of Idaho, I was also in the marching band for two years.

I still play around on my flute some. I love playing it, and I hope my girls continue on playing in band and enjoying it as much as I did.

Music is such a simple gift.