Normally, when you put 100 teenagers and pre-teens in a room, you expect the rough equivalent of herding 100 Jack Russel Terriers mixing with 100 caffeine-enhanced cats. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
The young musicians were from the Missouri Youth Orchestra and the St. Charles County Youth Orchestra. They were from varied backgrounds and had different personal styles, habits, and personalities, but they were all committed, serious-minded musicians who cared a great deal about their music. Yes, they were kids, which means they know how to have fun, but they were committed musicians. Here's an example:
I've known Carrie for a few years and have never failed to been impressed by her motivation, drive, and passion for the kids. She was high-energy, upbeat, excited - in short, a force of nature. Shane Williams, from St. Charles, was terrific as well, connecting with the musicians and effectively sharing ideas and goals. A really terrific guy.
Finally, there was Mark O'Connor himself. An enormous talent, enormously humble, he was an inspiration, an example, and a challenge for the kids. he opened the time Saturday afternoon with a demonstration/performance:
After this, he did master classes. I'll write more about them in another blog, as I post more photos. The photos are going up at www.RichardBerryPhotography.com - there's a link on the home page.
Bravo, everyone!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment