This evening I had the pleasure of meeting some teachers after school for dinner and then I headed over to our fifth grade and middle school conjoined band concert. I admittingly had not sipped but rather gulped two large cups of coffee before the concert began at 7 P.M. I always attend the band concerts at our school for two reasons: I am great friends with the band director (I think he does the most beautiful job with his students) and I do feel that the teachers who teach the arts are not always supported as they should be. Would it not be nice if every teacher from our school was required to attend the concerts in the evenings? Imagine how our students would respond to that as well. 

As I sat at the back of the auditorium, I was smiling to myself as the fifth graders were on stage dressed in their white shirts and black bottoms. Every band concert I can remember, I always became excited to "dress up" for the night and play under the lights. I loved the experience. Every bit of it. I watched as the drummers counted out loud in attempts to keep a steady beat and of course the toe-tappers in the front were also my personal favorites. I was once told that as a young student, I tapped my leg so much that my parents always joked I could make a gallon of wine. 

There were some excellent pieces played but the song I recorded happens to be one of my favorites (Somewhere Over the Rainbow.) And they played it so beautifully. Of course there were some missed notes and out of tune notes and missplaced notes and loud notes. But it was how the students played the piece that really did get to me. With so few rehearsals and so much emotion. Music is not music unless there is emotion. 

I had to smile because our band director mentioned the beauty of seeing his old students on stage with his younger students and there was one line I found so very profound: "Of course we are here to play good music, but even more it gets to me every time I see old students and new students and look at just the good people they are becoming. That is what is so important. In this world our goal is to create beautiful music but also good people."

His words reminded me of my favorite part of this song. Ironically, I believe it was in my high school years when I discovered these words for the very first time. 

When all the world
Is a hopeless jumble
And the raindrops tumble all around
Heaven opens a magic lane

When all the clouds darken up the skyway
There's a rainbow highway to be found
Leading from your window pane
To a place behind the sun just a step beyond the rain

Sometimes, I think few people realize the power of teaching the next generation of musicians so that they are able to build their own rainbow highway. Because through the raindrops and the darkening clouds, there is always undoubtedly music to be found. A thank you to all the music teachers who are doing this wonderful work.