Making on Impact: Reflections on Summer Camp

As I sat in the front row at Clowes Memorial Hall during the recent Choral Festival concert, I focused my camera on an ICC grad receiving her certificate.  I pulled back for a moment from the viewfinder to take a better look at her, as it suddenly struck me that this same singer was new camper a few years prior.  (During my early tenure at the Indianapolis Children's Choir we produced a camp video, and I spent a lot of time going over footage - I knew those faces!)

Time flies.  Kids grow up fast.  We get one chance at nurturing them through childhood. ICC helps in this regard. The Choral Festival singers now have a powerful childhood memory from the afternoon they stepped out on to the biggest stage in the city. Buzzing around that week I noticed how much fun our singer-volunteers were having, as well as several ICC alumni home from college. Buoyed by their own memorable experience, many returned to ICC for Choral Festival week. ICC makes a positive impact on young people.

How am I so sure about this?  A few years ago, I worked on a documentary for the ICC's 25th anniversary. Alumni played a starring role, and I was struck by the common themes of their statements. Across the board they spoke fondly of their years in the choir, about how much they loved their directors. They enjoyed the opportunity to sing with kids from all over central Indiana. Music allowed them express their feelings and thoughts as they were going through adolescence. The word 'fun' came up a lot and the idea that ICC felt like family. On an artistic level, they enjoyed striving for a bar that was set high, and surpassing it.

ICC Founder and Artistic Director Henry Leck sums it up best with his artistic vision: Helping kids achieve excellence.  That's what we do here.  We are the one of the largest and most successful children's choral programs in the world, with activities for kids of all ages. To the parents of the Choral Festival singers:  I appreciate you giving us a first look, and  I hope that you consider a second!

PS:  A recent radio interview on NPR goes into depth about the value of singing in groups. It's worth a listen!

It's a Wrap: Indianapolis Youth Chorale Raises the Bar at ACDA

"I don't think people realize what went in to that!" said American Idol winner and country superstar Carrie Underwood.

She was referring to a spoof of the most watched YouTube video ever - Gangnam Style.  Underwood and her co-host for the Country Music Awards, Brad Paisley, did their own version, Gingham Style. Choreographers were hired for both her and Paisley, several tracks of the song were recorded, and they had  hours of rehearsal.  All for just about  60 seconds of entertainment - but the audience loved it.

I shared her sentiment as the Indianapolis Youth Chorale prepared for their performances in Dallas, Texas this past week at the American Choral Directors Association national convention.  ICC was sending a choir for an unprecedented fifth appearance, and like the Gangnam Style spoof, there was a lot of preparation the audience would never see.

They wouldn't see the music that was studied, the dogged determination that director Cheryl West put in to the rehearsals, nor the work of accompanists Martin Ellis and Rebecca Edie.  The dedication of language consultant and dance instructor Krsztina Inskeep as well as music educator Mary Evers would remain behind the scenes as well.

The audience wouldn't see the chasing down of details that went in to the ACDA concert program, the travel arrangements for nearly 100 people, nor the assistance and nurturing the chaperons, parents and ICC staff gave these young people along the way. They wouldn't see, but they would ultimately experience, the passion and dedication of Artistic Director Henry Leck who founded this choir decades ago.

Really, all that is just fine.  That's the nature of the performing arts. There doesn't need to be full disclosure of the process.  Like Underwood and Paisley's spoof, all the audience needs to do is sit back and enjoy.

It seems that, after two standing ovations, and compliments from the composers extolling how brilliantly IYC brought their works to life, the audience did more than enjoy:  They savored some of the finest young voices in the world.

photo:  Darla Berry

VIDEO EXTRAS
Underwood/Paisley Gingham Style:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWSnoEziqPE

(Even better!) IYC rehearsing "Dance of Exultation" (Dan Forrest):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opx9bL6WyKw&feature=share

A Not-so-Subtle Reminder

Lilly Hall was buzzing with singers being dropped off, running to their choir room, signing in and taking their places.  I had ventured upstairs from the basement enclave where the ICC offices are to meet a volunteer.  I was thinking about my busy day, wondering where the heck I had parked my car eight hours before, distracted by the fact that my own daughter had texted me about the family dog jumping the fence.

As I walked past the room in which Bel Canto was rehearsing, I literally stopped in my tracks.  "O Fortuna" was pouring out of that choir room, sung with such maturity and polish it was beyond belief. I poked my head into the room where Bel Canto director Josh Pedde was working with the singers. Clearly advanced in their musicality, some of the kids just looked so young. It simply didn't seem plausible that the singing I just heard came out of those kids.  

A snapshot would show tall singers, short singers, some in jeans, some in soccer uniforms, some who probably had a bad day and some who may be thinking about the homework they still would have to do when they got home.  A snapshot would not have shown the skill with which these singers were being taught, the passion that came along with the skill, or the musical prowess they gained from the ICC directors in choirs leading up to this one.  

Although I've enjoyed dozens of fabulous concerts and certainly know the caliber with which our singers perform, I was pleasantly surprised to be abruptly reminded that when it comes to teaching kids to sing, the Indianapolis Children's Choir is second to none.  

A Day at the World Choir Games

It's extremely difficult to reach dominance in any profession. However, watching Henry Leck, the founder and artistic director of the Indianapolis Children's Choir, work his way through a day at the 2012 World Choir Games, I knew I was watching a man who had done just that. 

We boarded a bus at 6am and would be in Cincinnati only for a day.  Henry was teaching a workshop in the morning, and there was a public concert that night.  The ICC was not there to compete. 

No medal ceremonies, no ranking, no wondering who's the best choir.  Henry's philosophy, that music should not separate people but rather draw them together, has done no harm.  His choirs have performed on five continents, for religious, government, and corporate leaders, and with an array of professional entertainers.  The artistic quality of the ICC has never been compromised and the singers never fail to amaze.

The real work began in Junior Ballroom B, on the 3rd floor of the Duke Energy Convention Center.  This particular group of kids, culled together from two choirs, had never sung together.  To get the optimal sound, the choir needed to be 'voiced'.  This was fascinating to watch.  In a mere 10 minutes Henry went through the whole choir, section by section.  Two adjoining singers would sing the same note.  In an instant Henry would determine if being next to each other still produced the ideal sound.

Then the workshop "Changing Choral Sound" began.  Few attendees were aware that they were about to be treated to one of the best children's choirs in the world.  Henry taught several visualization and movement exercises.  A couple of measures of "Let There Be Peace on Earth" were sung to exhibit each technique.  Two measures, over and over, each with nuances not heard before.  I overheard one of the workshop attendees exclaim, "They sound so beautiful!  I just want them to sing the whole song!"

After the workshop, Henry sat down for a TV interview, convinced a Russian musician to help the singers with a challenging Russian piece, ate lunch, and headed off with the singers to the hotel.  Then it was off to the sound check at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, dinner, a little rehearsing, then waiting for their cue.   

The ICC was the last choir in the line-up for the Music of the World Celebration concert.  It had been a long day, but Henry and the singers were ready.  Their final piece, "One Song at a Time" resonated with the audience.  The song made one believe in possibilities.  If we all work together, stand side by side, could we really change the world - one song at a time - as the lyrics would lead us to imagine?

Yes, it is possible.  All of the choirs that descended upon Cincinnati demonstrated that.

Then, ICC took the stage and without the incentive of winning a prize, the choir sang its heart out.  The singers performed with artistry that brought a tear to one's eye and the audience to its feet.  And that possibility?  Henry had it glowing a little brighter. 

Attention Film Makers!

Note to those new to the movie making business: Don't skimp on the music.

This thought came to mind today as I settled in to watch Titanic's latest release. What a great film - history is the main character, it has a good love story, perfect casting and phenomenal storytelling.

I hadn't seen it for about eight years and during that time my life has changed and my outlook on things has been adapted by experience. Although seeing it in 3-D (3-D done right, I might add) and on an IMAX screen was visually stunning, eight years later it was the music that struck me the most.

How beautiful it was, how evocative, how integral to each and every scene. I don't know enough about film making to know when in the production process a score comes together. In some movies it's clearly an afterthought. In the case of Titanic - which won many Academy Awards, including Best Dramatic Score - I imagine the music being created in a parallel time line to the script. Hand and hand, the composer and musicians working together with the writers, with the actors, each group of creative minds inspiring one another.

Music is like that in so much of our lives - everywhere, often playing a supportive role, without which the main attraction couldn't quite shine as bright. The Indianapolis Children's Choir is a bit like that. We work in the background, helping to shape young lives hand in hand with their parents, their teachers, their own experiences. We help kids shine brighter.

Keep music in the lives of our children. It may just steal a few scenes.

The Singers That Didn't Take the Field

Now that the applause has died down, let’s change focus just a bit. Sure – for those 45 kids from the Indianapolis Children's Choir who took the field at Lucas Oil Stadium to sing the national anthem with Kelly Clarkson at Super Bowl XLVI – it was an experience of a lifetime. I was extremely proud of how the singers handled the rehearsals, the attention, the performance. However, I was just as proud of the singers who couldn’t be there. They handled the disappointment with a maturity beyond their years.

A little back story: There cannot be any doubt that the two conductors who took the field – ICC founder and artistic director Henry Leck and assistant artistic director Josh Pedde – would have wanted their full choirs out there on the 50-yard line. However, the NFL requested 45 singers – no more, no less. Singers from two of the ICC advanced choirs – Bel Canto and Cantantes Angeli – were selected based in large part on their stature. Super Bowl organizers wanted singers that were up to the task musically, but they also wanted singers who looked as young as possible. (Kelly Clarkson isn’t very tall; even in heels. I imagine the sight of little children gathered around the main attraction was what the organizers were trying to conjure up.)

The anthem singers handled their opportunity of a lifetime with artistic excellence second to none, but ALL of the singers are a shining example of the best of what music education offers a child – confidence, discipline, and grace.

There was a palpable reticence in the air on their regular Monday rehearsal the evening after the big game. In one of the choir rooms, a young singer who did not perform on the world’s largest stage said: “Can we clap for the kids who got to do it?” Bravo to them all.

Accepting a request: Honoring Dan Wheldon

When the call came in, the office stopped. Can we do this? Can we accept a performance request from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to perform at the memorial service for IZOD IndyCar series driver Dan Wheldon?

Our performances are planned months in advance. This is to allow time for our directors to choose appropriate music, for the singers to learn it, and for our parents to get it on their schedules. Unlike adult performing arts groups, our artists don't drive. Don Steffy, executive director of the Indianapolis Children's Choir said, "We don't just throw our guitar in the car and go."

Singers are on fall break, and there was a question about the music. Was there even appropriate repertoire for this somber event so early in our season?

The behind-the-scenes effort to honor this request was a moment I wish more people saw. The entire ICC staff pulled out phone lists and began calling individual families, and parents rearranged their schedules. Above all of this was the puzzle that had to be put together with the music.

This is where the ICC really shines: founder and artistic director Henry Leck and assistant artistic director Josh Pedde began poring over songs. Cheryl West, director of ICC's high school division the Indianapolis Youth Chorale, offered some of her singers to ensure there are enough to complete a full choir. The artistic quality that ICC was built upon could not be comprised, but it was beginning to look like there were enough singers, enough common repertoire, and enough rehearsal time that it wouldn't have to be.

The request was accepted. The public won't see the effort put forth by the entire organization over the past 24 hours - parents, singers, and staff alike. They will, however, see over 80 young singers atop the risers at Conseco Fieldhouse, with a sound beautiful enough to honor a champion.

Thoughts from the Super Bowl volunteer kick-off

Indy is getting ready for the Super Bowl. Sports fan or not, this is huge for our city. I recently attended the volunteer kick-off, which amounted to a 2-hour cheerleading session to get over 8,000 volunteers excited about the work before them.

Hats off to the Super Bowl Host Committee - they did get us excited! At a preview of one of the world's biggest sporting events, one thing was clear: Music was a huge part of the excitement!

I walked in to Conseco Fieldhouse to hear live music coming from a band set up right on the basketball court. A former Miss America sang the national anthem, and the crowd sang along. In a video montage of the sporting events Indy has hosted over the past 25 years, I was thrilled to see that the Indianapolis Children's Choir was at many of them. The evening wrapped up with Indiana's own Sandi Patty singing "Indianapolis".

It's interesting to me how some people align themselves with one side of the fence or the other, proclaiming "I'm a sports guy" or "I'm an arts advocate." They're really so intertwined at times. The ICC has welcomed visitors, sung the Star Spangled Banner, and performed national anthems live for foreign athletes at world competitions.

Sports and music: we're lucky to be in a city that does both so well.

Project 9/11 Indianapolis Memorial Dedication CD

I spent a little time last week feeling a bit like a record producer. I was listening to few takes of our national anthem, sung by Cantantes Angeli, that had recently been recorded for the Project 9/11 Indianapolis CD.

We were on time crunch, as the organizers of this project needed our recording by close-of-business that day. ICC founder and artistic director Henry Leck was hearing nuances in each take, and he was listening carefully to ensure we delivered the best version. His name would be on this CD, so I certainly understood, even though I kept checking the time on my watch.

Our involvement in this project - the dedication of the beams from the World Trade Center on the 10th annivesary of 9/11 - came about easy enough. I picked up the phone and offered our services. Not a moments hesitation, and Greg Hess, the Indianapolis firefighter who spearheaded the memorial, said "Could you sing the national anthem?"

He never asked for a demo, nor references, nor any questions about our experience with these types of public events. Think about that - just on our name alone did he enthusiastically take me up on my offer to perform at a civic event that will include many of our state's top dignitaries.

Our reputation is solid. The ICC is known for many things, but artistic excellence is at the top of the list. Due to the high standards practiced at every rehearsal by all of our conductors, our name alone is assurance of a great performance.

I'm never involved when it comes to artistic development - but Friday afternoon in Henry's office I got a glimpse at the process. It's a process that ensures when people read "The Indianapolis Children's Choir" on that CD jacket, they'll already know its going to be great.

Musical Relevancy

Irrelevancy is a path one can easily go down as we journey through a career, but Henry Leck seems to be doing the opposite.

Henry is as dedicated today to the art of choral music as he was over 25 years ago when he founded the Indianapolis Children's Choir. His accomplishments of the past season alone leave a person exhausted. Several high-profile performances. orchestrating the ICC's concert season, leading choral festivals not only in Indy but around the world and conducting two world premiere pieces illustrate that Henry continues to be a huge influence in the choral music world.

With cuts in music programs across the state and regular decreases in government and corporate funding to support great music programs, what the Indianapolis Children's Choir does every day fills an important void. Under Henry's guidance, the ICC has been able to not only grow in numbers, but in its influence as well.

This weekend is a kick-off of the new ICC season, as the two advanced choirs are on the annual summer retreat. New singers to the choirs become acquainted, singers are fitted for uniforms, and the camaraderie that is vital to reaching artistic excellence begins to take shape.

These young singers one day will realize how lucky they were to have been able to spend time with Henry at the podium. As we usher in the 26th season, the ICC is more relevant than ever.

ICC hits the Big Apple

I felt like the guest of honor at a party called the Big Apple when I recently traveled to New York City to attend A Melancholy Beauty. This world premiere, conducted by ICC founder and artistic director Henry Leck, recently had its third and final performance at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center.

I had been to the city before, but never with the luxury of time to really soak it in. It reminded me how important traveling is to the experience singers have with the Indianapolis Children's Choir.

Touring can be quite enlightening. On my three day visit, I found New Yorkers to be so helpful and engaging that I wondered where their abrasive demeanor comes from. I learned the black, unmarked taxi cabs were a little sketchy. I saw so many New Yorkers with dogs & cats in pet strollers I had to mentally applaud the person who was making money from that idea.

I cannot imagine what it was like nearly 10 years ago on September 11, but I felt an immense amount of pride that this great American city had the tenacity to prevail.

The singers who were on tour experienced all this and more. They stood in one of the greatest venues in America and sang in a piece that was such a big collaboration it prompted the house manager to say, "I've never seen this many people on stage!" They shared a common history with ICC alumni they ran into along their travels: Laura Crockett and Ben Markham in Boston to name a few.

The world is a big place. We are fortunate that years ago, Henry Leck wanted to show it to his singers. As a parent myself, I've often felt the angst of wondering where that sweet spot was between holding a hand too tight and letting go. In a way unlike any organization, the Indianapolis Children's Choir makes that transition a little smoother.

Effort Undefined

"The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without the work".

French writer Emile Zola is credited with these words . Coming off of the 25th anniversary concert of the Indianapolis Children's Choir last night, these words ring true. The sheer number of hours worked by hundreds of people - before the concert even began - is staggering.

ICC founder and artistic director Henry Leck had the vision - and those around him believed in it enough to help supply the effort. Effort is somewhat a mystery. We all know it is needed to do a job well; but how much more to really be outstanding?

Art in particular is somewhat difficult to gauge the success of. A business owner can check her bank account. A student has their GPA. A runner can clock his time. Art is a bit more intangible. The same lack of boundaries that draw some people to arts various forms - that fills their creative soul just by taking part in it - is also what makes it hard to measure. When does art go from merely good to touching the heart of an audience?

Should the conductor run the rehearsal just 5 more minutes? Should the violinist challenge herself with a more difficult piece? Should the dancer prepare a little longer? Should the film maker revise the script just one more time? Should the plein air painter paint again because the sun moved more to the west? It's hard to know.

However, when the right amount of effort is indeed put forth, it's crystal clear.

Give a Little

Imagine this: You're walking in downtown Indy. You find that the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra no longer fills the Hilbert with music, the stage has gone dark at Theatre on the Square, art is no longer hanging at all the art galleries around town, and screenings have been canceled for the Heartland Film Festival.

You wouldn't want to live in a city like that, and neither would I.

That's why community support is so important. These past few weeks, grant submission deadlines aligned themselves perfectly to ensure that development personnel in many arts organizations were going nuts. The Indianapolis Children's Choir relies on contributed income to support its expenses, and grants are a piece of that pie.

Watching how tirelessly my colleagues worked these past few weeks was inspiring. "Burning the midnight oil" was a reality, not a cliche. Dotting all the i's in the narratives, making sure the budget data added up, creating artistic documentation that would speak to the grant panelists with a message that says, "Look at all we are doing! Look at how we are making the world a better place! Look how we are touching lives!"

It's no small task. Along with the ever-present efforts to raise money, people in the arts multi-task like no other. Because on top of everything else going on, so must the show.

So the next time you feel moved by a dance performance, wander into an art gallery for a quiet moment in your hectic day, or find your toes tapping to some fabulous live music, give a little.

LIVES IN TUNE: "You've changed the way I'll look at music forever"

The conductors were in the audience for a change.

We premiered Lives in Tune: The Legacy of the Indianapolis Children's Choir. What started out about a year and a half ago as a note I had jotted during the first 25th anniversary committee meeting had a screening tonight in the Basile Theater at the Indiana History Center.

I have a tendency to editorialize my own meeting notes. Next to "Documentary" I had written "not likely".

Glad I proved myself wrong. This was a job worth doing, but had we done it well? You get tunnel vision at times with a long project. I liked it, but would others?

Many in the audience were ICC alumni and family - they were somewhat pre-disposed to seeing the positive in the movie. Even my friends were a bit biased simply because they knew me.

However, there was a gentleman who showed up and had no bias at all. He simply had read about it in the paper today. It was his comments that meant the most. He said, "I simply never knew singing could do that. You've changed the way I'll look at music forever."

Forever? Now that's a compliment. Especially given the fact that neither myself nor the filmmaker had any musical background to speak of. It's certainly a reminder of how powerful this medium of film can be, and it unique ability to tell a story.

Lesson from Chicago

We had nothing in common except.... Wait: We had nothing in common. I rode a bus today sitting next to a 28-year old black male, moving to Indy for a while to help his wheelchair-bound cousin who had been shot. He asked me, "What are the women in Indy like?" Although I'm rarely at a loss for words, I just didn't even have a clue about that one!

He made me think about the other people on the bus. The older couple, the college girls, the mother and child. None of us would really have any reason to come together, but our common experience of a drive to Indy created an artificial community - if only for a few hours. Our status and careers outside of the bus were irrelevant.

I was in Chicago for the American Choral Directors Association conference. The Indianapolis Children's Choir had a presence at the conference in that our founder and artistic director Henry Leck conducted the National Children's Honor Choir.

After a busy weekend I enjoyed the opportunity to do nothing on the bus but think. I thought about how the singers created their own community for a few days too, and details outside of their common experience were inconsequential.

That's what participating in a choir does best: It allows walls to be broken down by the very nature of studying the music, soaking in the text, and creating a beautiful sound together. These singers in Chicago may never see each other again - but they will remember the work they accomplished, and the lesson that we are more alike than different.

If I had an experience like that with my seat mate, perhaps I would have found that common ground as well.

The Focus is Children; the Result is Excellence

I happened to be driving by the Children's Museum of Indianapolis yesterday. Having spent a fair amount of time at the museum when my own kids were younger, I have to say I had never seen quite so many cars parked there. The lot in front was crammed. The parking garage had the "Full" sign out. As I continued driving north on Illinois Street, several smaller lots I hadn't even noticed before were packed to the gills with cars.

An annual gift to the community is free admission on Martin Luther King Day. The museum has been doing this for years, and I quickly made the connection.

Hats off to the Children's Museum. Think about it: the museum opened its doors for free, on what is a day off for the rest of us. The museum most likely had to add extra staff, extra volunteers, extra food and a healthy dose of extra patience.

It takes very special people to dedicate their lives to children. The Children's Museum first opened its doors way back in 1925, and those people had a vision. It's the same vision I have come to learn that the founder of the Indianapolis Children's Choir has. Henry Leck has made an art out of looking past the frustrating nuances of working with children. He gives them his passion, new experiences and a place to grow, along with expectations higher than they would have given themselves. They are better people for it.

From one youth organization to another, to the Children's Museum I say, "Job well done!"

A Long Day's Lesson

As Marketing Director for the Indianapolis Children's Choir, my days are full. Today was fuller than most. It began with meeting a group of singers at a local TV station for a live segment, then shopping for a reception, uploading photos, selling a few tickets, putting the finishing touches on a press release, answering email, answering voice mail, writing a thank-you note to a local news editor for a print story, submitting some information to a choral publication, reserving ad space in another, reviewing a video project, delivering CDs to a retailer, and loading toys into my van that were donated for a local toy drive.

What struck me as I was leaving the concert venue where the toys had been collected was a smile and a wave from a parent who had been at the TV station early this morning as well.

Her day had been as long as mine.

It was another reminder that our parents are one of our finest assets. They sacrifice, rearrange schedules, and put up with last minute changes. A week like this - leading up to a concert - is especially taxing.

Thanks to all our parents, for all you do. When your children file flawlessly into the sanctuary at St. Luke's United Methodist Church this weekend, when you hear the first measure of the first song, when the conductor takes the podium and raises the baton, you'll be reminded why it's worth it.

Collaboration at its Finest kicks-off 25th Anniversary

Aside from the occasional street musician playing his own songs, most projects involving the performing arts are collaborations. Nowhere was this more evident than Friday evening, when the Indianapolis Children's Choir performed the world premiere of The Lost Son.

Collaborators in this concert were many. The company commissioning this piece, Soli Deo Gloria, their talented and visionary CEO and an equally visionary board of directors and artistic director were just the beginning.

The librettist then eloquently penned the story of the prodigal son into poetry and the composer infused song into those words. The narrator and the orchestra and the genius of the ICC founder and artistic director Henry Leck tirelessly rehearsed until the musical score and the voices melded into one.

The Indianapolis Youth Chorale began the concert is such a classy fashion and set the tone for what the audience would experience next. The local Indianapolis media, the ticket buyers, and the financial sponsors all did their part to fill the house. The staffs of the ICC, St. Paul's Music and SDG did dozens of tasks of that go unrecognized.

The videographer and photographers whose work will preserve this moment in time and even the ushers at St. Pauls who hurriedly added extra chairs as the audience was filling the sanctuary all added to the concert's success.

What sets this collaboration apart from our colleagues in the arts community is the keystone without which none of this would happen: the parents.

Thanks to them, the night was divine.

An Event to Remember

I am not sure if the singers understood. Was this just another performance for them? Did they really understand THIS opportunity?

Last Saturday, the Cantantes Angeli choir were guest artists at the Indianapolis Prize Gala. (This is the world's leading award for animal conservation, presented by the Indianapolis Zoo. This year's winner, Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, was honored for his work with Save the Elephants.)

The Indianapolis Children's Choir has performed at countless award ceremonies. This one was special. The ceremony included a song written by legendary composer Marvin Hamlisch, "True Heroes" was an inspiring work about the true heroes of conservation - people like Dr. Douglas-Hamilton.

Mr. Hamlisch was in attendance for this event, serving as accompanist. Henry, along with soprano Angela Brown, worked with Mr. Hamlisch during a lengthy rehearsal to fine tune the performance. It was fascinating to watch these three music professionals - each at the top of their respective games - to come together and present the audience with an experience they will not soon forget.

Until Henry instructed the singers to do a little research on Mr. Hamlisch, I'm sure only a handful knew that he was an Emmy, Oscar, Tony, Grammy, Golden Globe and Pulitzer Prize winner. Hopefully, it's an experience they'll look back on and say, "Wow! I worked with one of the greatest names in entertainment."

An experience brought to them by the legacy Henry Leck began 25 years ago.

The Power of LaBamba!

I went to see my first Symphony on the Prairie concert this week. (I am somewhat embarrassed that as Marketing Director for the Indianapolis Children's Choir I had never been!)

The show was Buddy Holly & Friends. This was a tribute show to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & the Big Bopper. In the spirit of full disclosure, I had see these guys perform before - and knew they were fantastic.

I had not, however, seen them perform outdoors. I was pleasantly surprised by the fantastic acoustics provided by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Connor Prairie. What really was the icing on the cake for me was how the thousands of people responded to the music. Folks were up dancing, singing - and the energy was palpable. When Ray Anthony - who performed as Ritchie Valens - teased the audience with the first few bars of LaBamba - I thought the prairie was going to explode with anticipation.

Music, and few other things, can do this. It can wow a crowd, and make you cry, and send you back to a long ago memory, and is one of the things that gives those intangible moments in life a chance at being defined.

So go enjoy some music this weekend!