Changing Lanes

Arriving In El Dorado mid-summer, we took a while to become familiar with local musical offerings, among other community amenities. In these early months, we were impressed by a number of things. 

First, music abounds. It's available in many public settings live and it's clear that we enjoy listening to and performing music of many types here. Second, we seem to value music for the opportunity it affords us to come together. Whether in church or at school, or in a more formal concert setting, we seem to want to experience singing, playing, or listening in groups. Third, all generations seem to connect through music here. It's not a "kids" thing, or a "teens" thing, or an "older adults" thing. Well, actually, it is probably all those things at times-but predominantly music is a common interest for our families and friends together.

Attending our granddaughters' schools' Christmas season concerts was a highlight for us. The variety and challenge of music performed (choral and instrumental) was impressive, but the demeanor of the students as they arrived on stage, performed their numbers, and yielded to the next group was remarkable. Seeing such discipline and poise, adherence to the "traffic" rules, and being respectful of one another enhanced the experience for us. When we go to a concert by a professional or advanced amateur group, we take for granted that they will follow the usual protocol. But when elementary and middle school students do so as well, it's a special treat and a sign of the wonderful mentoring that our faculties provide.

We were fortunate to be able to hear last month's El Dorado Communty Concert Association presentation of the Carpe Diem Quartet at the Middle School auditorium. It was a wonderful combination of serious classical music, some down-home fiddlin', and some cross-cultural music-making of great color and panache. It was impressive to learn that the EDCCA has been enriching our community for nearly 80 years-a proud record to be sure.

Last Sunday, we attended the Wichita Symphony's mid-winter classical concert in the Century II Concert Hall with a friend's ten-year-old son. It was as fine an afternoon of music-making as one could imagine, and featured the Korean violinist Chee-Yun in the sparkling and evocative Sibelius concerto. We came away highly pleased with the opportunity to hear such exceptional virtuostic playing, supported by our own terrific local orchestra fresh from their performance of Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin and Mozart's Symphony No. 40.

It seems to us that our community musical heritage is secure, and that music's place in the educational endeavors of our younger folks is high. However, there were scores of empty seats at the string quartet's concert in the Middle School's auditorium, while in Wichita the hall was full-adults and children together, enjoying a first-rate musical experience. Let's think about ways to have El Dorado's young musicians and music lovers alike experience live music from seats that would otherwise remain vacant. The investment would be "sound."