Tuesday, May 3, 2011

SCORE

My dad is the artistic director of a children's ensembled called The American Children of SCORE. He founded the group in Savannah, Georgia MANY years ago. After starting it in Georgia, he started another group in Virginia, and a colleague started another group in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For a year of my life he would leave every Sunday night and travel to Harlem, New York to assist a school in starting their own SCORE. He's been on TV, on tour, written arrangements for orchestras and choirs, performed at festivals, churches, universities, workshops across the country and abroad, and has even had a group (mine) perform at the Kennedy Center.

SCORE stands for strings, choral, Orff, and recorder ensemble and 8-12 year old children from over 9 counties audition to be a part of this after school, extra-curricular experience.

It wasn't until after I had graduated from this group that I began to realize how truly rich and beautiful SCORE is. The music that they create brings me to tears each time I sit in the audience. My heart swells with love for my father and his music genius in arranging the pieces and creating such a unique opportunity for both the children involved and for those in the audience.

This past weekend I had another chance to hear SCORE perform and this time it was with Mark Jaster, a mime. He might as well be an international celebrity for our family. We spent many a day trying to disapear as if we were going down the stairs, an elevator, or an escalator, but no one can do it like Mark Jaster. I think Willem spent more time in the mirror making acting faces at himself because he observed such a natural, and he is a natural as well.

But back to SCORE and my dad. I am always just so in awe of his ability to pull so many children, on so many instruments, with so many different parts, together to create such beautiful sounds, ballads, songs, instrumentals, and stories.

It's soul music. It feeds me deep inside, as only this music can. It is the music of my childhood, it's soaked through my skin, and is deep inside my bones. It makes me experience so many different emotions, like no other music can. I feel truly blessed to both have been a part of it when I was a child and be a part of it now.

Thank you, Dad, for providing so many with this gift! You have touched so many people, some whom you may never even know or hear from again.

Thank you for music that touches the soul. I'm so proud of you, Dad!

Check them out at the link below:

http://www.scoremusicensemble.org/

I look forward to seeing them again on May 28th at the Delaplane Strawberry Festival at 12 noon!

1 comment:

  1. Wow...thanks for the best early Father's Day present ever!
    Love you, Kathe!

    ReplyDelete