Blackbird Diaries: This Is Our Story

Though I have immense appreciation for the end result of their work, I would never consider myself to be a wise man when it comes to anything artistic. I stopped using cursive in the fourth grade, could not illustrate my family with ink beyond simple stick figures, stopped dancing about 30 pounds ago, and don't even sing to myself in the shower.

 When I hear a cool tune outside my iTunes library some quiet morning at Blackbird, see some creative images that are not smiling kids in parades, or learn about the poetry slam, I marvel at the vision that it takes to think artistically like that, though cannot say any of it has sunk in beyond just the love of observing it.

So what do I say when asked to comment briefly about the impact the music and arts programs have in Valpo, during "This Is Our Story" performances last week?

#1: Briefly? Seriously, the word briefly came to mind and I was still under consideration?

#2: It helps make happy, strong, smart, productive, expressive, and creative people forever. Every time I have photographed, recorded or told a story about kids and adults that have experienced the impact that our music and art programs have, they are always examples that are positive, long lasting, and involved more with life lessons than band lessons.

It starts with the elementary kids with their beaming faces, voices, and hand gestures, to the middle schoolers that are performing alongside the older kids seeing where they can get to, and the high schoolers showing the community how it is done, at a consistently high level, year after year.

Not only playing, but playing in concert, in front of a crowd, with the heat and nerves combined to challenge all of their hard work getting ready. They all went on that night, and again another army of them came back the next night and performed. Beautifully. With talent, grace, respect, focus, and hard work. Essentially all the skills that we hope each of our own children grow up to embrace.

They learned from the first time they played a recorder or played with sidewalk chalk that they had something inside of them, and their music and arts teachers encouraged it along while their parents reminded them to practice.

It helped some of the shy ones to express themselves, and gave some of the bold ones an outlet for their passion. You can see the elementary teacher willing them with their faces to smile, and the vibrant enthusiasm Mr. Rosario beings to each note. They are training our kids in life, and the impact they have is life-lasting.

Mr. Dan Pritchett was honored for just a moment for his almost four decades of leading children in music. The kids, parents, and grandparents in the audience probably can much better attest to the impact these programs have on our kids. They were standing, not sitting, when they paid their respects for what he has done.