Very cool, Ken. Congrats on raising great kids. They have to follow their
hearts, but with that much talent, one would hope at some point that she'd
follow that and not just let it die.
On Fri, May 20, 2016 at 10:23 AM, Ken Norton <ken@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> No pictures, no OM content, just sharing.
>
> Last night, Dear Daughter #2 had her final high school band concert.
> It's an annual "parade of bands" thing that many school districts do
> right before graduation. Before the final song, the band director
> gives a special recognition to each graduating senior and spends a
> minute talking about them and the relationship that has built through
> the years. This band director has been here for 26 years and is
> absolutely one of the top educators I've ever encountered. He's one of
> those that takes pride in "his kids". Band is family.
>
> Kenzie has been involved in everything (marching band, concert band,
> jazz band, drumline, regional and state invitation-only bands, solo
> and ensemble..) and was first-chair French Horn. In Jazz she was the
> pianist.
>
> There are two awards given, which are voted on by the band itself.
> Last year, Allie got one (she was first chair clarinet and played bass
> in jazz) of the awards, this year, Kenzie got the other. Both awards
> are very special recognition and are essentially given to the person
> who is the "face" or the "soul" of the band. So, that obviously is
> wonderful recognition--especially as it is given by their peers. They
> also come with scholorship opportunities too.
>
> We've seen this last-night concert thing played out five times before,
> so we knew what to expect, as he reaches deep from the gut and talks
> about each one as though they were his own children. It's a "no dry
> eye" moment, for sure. He takes his time and doesn't rush it.
>
> When he got to Kenzie, he talked about her being the friend to
> everybody and for her work ethic (lead by example) and confidence
> which affected the whole band and "counselor" to many. All true and as
> a couple of you know, there is much more behind that than the public
> will ever be made aware of. Both daughters were solely responsible for
> stopping a felony crime ring that because the perps and victims were
> minors, was never made public. That "counselor" thing has far deeper
> meaning than can ever be imagined.
>
> He talked about her as his piano player for jazz. He has repeatably
> said to us for the past four years how she is the best piano player
> he's ever had in his 26 years there. This band program is among the
> very very best in all of Iowa, and that's saying something and she's
> participated in multiple "invitationals". He gave specifics and
> indicated in no uncertain terms that she can immediately become a
> professional musician if that's what she chooses to do. (and she
> already has contacts within the music industry). She has been his star
> student all through high school.
>
> While I don't disagree with his assessment, four years of university
> will follow and she's very much wanting to be an educator, not a
> musician. But I think part of that is self-confidence. Both daughters
> want to move and live outside of the country and she thinks that being
> an educator is a more logical and "safe" career choice. We'll see what
> opportunities come her way at university.
>
> She got it all from her mother.
>
> AG Schnozz
> --
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>
--
Paul Braun WD9GCO
Certified Music Junkie
"Music washes from the soul the dust of everyday life." -- Berthold Auerbach
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