Thoughts on Yakima

This weekend, as you may have read in a previous posting, was Sonus Boreal's clinic at the Washington Music Educators Association Conference in Yakima. Here's how that went:
My Friday started off with my annual visit to the dermatologist. I've had a pre-cancer on my face before, so we're checking regularly for anything new. This worked out well as 1) there were no new anythings, and 2) I would have had to take time off of work to get my checkup, but I had the day off anyway for our choir trip.
I was meeting Mom at noon for lunch, so I scurried up to Marysville after my appointment, only to find no sign of Mom. Okay, I was early, so I called and left a message that I was heading to Wal-Mart for a little spontaneous snack shopping for the trip. Done with Wal-Mart, I called again. Still no Mom. Off to the new Dollar Tree I had spotted on my way in, then I headed over to Mom's and rang the bell. At this point it's noon, so I figured I was right on time for our arranged lunch. She ought to be home by now, and she was. And very surprised to see me! Seems she'd forgotten to write me in on her calendar...AND she'd already eaten lunch!
So she went with me to grab something to eat. Our chosen destination had a line of about 10 people, so we ended up at KFC, then she dropped me off at Choir Jenny #2's house (we have 3 Jennys in choir and my sister-in-law Jenny, and I don't like to name last names on my blog).
We loaded into Cheryl's van (Cheryl, Cindy, Choir Jenny #2, and I) and off to Yakima we headed. The trip out was nice and we only had to stop once on the way - this is pretty much a miracle, considering the amount of coffee, Pepsi, and water being consumed!
We arrived around 4:30 and the ladies dropped me off at the exhibition hall where I met up with Aunt Jenny (my afore-mentioned s-i-l), who works for a book publisher and had a table at the conference.
When she finished up for the day, we headed out to check into our hotel room.
All I can say about that room is "YIKES!" I think they use that room so that the staff who smoke have an indoor break room. And I think they were there right before we checked in. And I think they may have even come in several times during the night, just so we wouldn't lose any of that "just-smoked-in" ambiance. Yes, she requested a non-smoking room. But they were out and their excuse was that they couldn't find the phone number of the travel agency to call them back. You know, that obscure little company, American Express? Yeah.
We went out to dinner, and after a short wait, were seated at the table right next to 1) the front door, where all the hungry people were lurking over our table, and 2) the bar, where a duo was crooning 70's songs. Yes! Oh wait...NO! Off-tune and wobbly as all get out. Although they looked a little bit like Simon and Garfunkel, they sounded NOTHING like them. They had volume, though. I'll give them that!
After dinner we went back to the hotel, gabbed for a bit, and went to sleep. Only to have Aunt Jenny  wake up sick from something she ate. Or the smoke. Or both. Not sure which. So after a long night, filled with dreams of Jenny asking me to sleep in the van because of my snoring, we awoke. We got ready, took one look at the free breakfast provided by the hotel, and went elsewhere.
We found this lovely little place, Mel's diner, over on First Ave. They served BIG breakfasts and we were quite content. Jenny wisely stuck to just toast. I called the choir ladies and they were out looking for breakfast and said they'd call back when they found a place to eat. Lo and behold: they ended up at Mel's! 
I climbed back into Cheryl's van and away we went to rehearse. We hadn't found a place to rehearse prior to leaving for Yakima, thinking there would be somewhere at the hotel. Well, the "hotel" was a motel and all it had were parking spots. Kari made some quick calls and the Nazarene Church in Yakima opened their doors to us for a quick hour of rehearsal.
Going in to this presentation, I was not very confident in my memorization of the songs we were singing. After all, we were to be singing in three languages. I actually had the two Latin ones and the English one down, but the Swedish one was just plain beyond me. I thought I could fake it, but imagine my relief when our Fearless Leader gave the word at rehearsal that we could use our music!
We headed back into town for the big presentation. We started out with a double choir presentation of a song called "Pueri Hebraeorum". It's about the children bringing olive branches to throw down before the Lord on Palm Sunday. They were shouting and declaiming: "Glory to God in the highest". We (choir 1) sang the first part, then choir 2 echoed us. We echoed back and forth for most of the song, and at one point we actually had all 4 parts of both choirs singing different things! WAY cool!
Then Fearless Leader spoke about how the idea for the choir began via Facebook, Sara spoke about how the founders actually started the choir, and Choir Jenny #1 spoke about how we go about business on the internet.
We then sang two songs, back to back: "Vitae Lux", a song about the light of life, and "Gabriella's Sang", from a movie in which the singing of this song is the pivotal point in the main character's life, that calls the end to the abuse she's been suffering at the hands of her husband. They gave us a standing ovation! (Tears!)
Another couple of testimonies: Lisa speaking about music as a non-negotiable in her life, Loren on what a difference music teachers have made in her own and her children's lives and what a resource teachers have in parents and grand parents, Dr. Ann speaking about how music affects people physically, mentally, and spiritually, and Diane speaking about how music affected her through her children's lives, and now has rescued her from the pains of life.
This was followed by some question and answer time. The first question was the big money question: "Would we consider doing this presentation again in other communities, as a sort of commercial for what could be?" YES!!! This is our mission! This is what we long to do!
The second comment was equally wonderful: The gentleman basically said that he was really impressed first by our being so confident in our music; everyone knew right where they were at all times and were extremely competent, and second, by the way we expressed the meaning of the song through our singing. He said that even though it was in Swedish, it was no surprise to him when he glanced down and saw the words we were singing in the English on his program. We exactly conveyed the feeling behind the song. (more tears!)
Please hear my heart. I am not bragging, but confirming something here: we have worked so hard for the very things that this man confirmed that he saw in our performance.
We want people to feel the joy of corporate music, but we also want them to realize what is possible using the resources at hand - by which I mean that all it takes is looking around and gathering up everyday people with a heart for music.
The choir has only been together for about two years, and half of us only since September. But with commitment by willing, hard working people we have achieved something wonderful!
Brava, Sonus Boreal! I am pleased and honored to be a part of such a fine and worthy undertaking with such fine people!

To see what we're all about, please visit our website at http://www.northernsound.org/.