Last night’s choir concert at Malibu High was fantastic. And quite emotional, too.
Not only was it the last performance in high school for some muy talented seniors, but the pall of school budget cuts loomed in the air with the reality that, as of now, our talented choir director is scheduled to lose her job. There were quite a few tears shed among the beautiful songs.
Folks aren’t taking this lying down. Now it is against the rules to just raise money to save Mrs. Loch’s job, and it will take hundreds of thousands of dollars raised in about two weeks to save all the teachers’ jobs on the chopping block, but the fundraising drive has begun nonetheless. And we all have high hopes.
That’s what the power of music can do for you. Give you high hopes and such.
I’m still not used to Malibu, but I’m enjoying the effort. I looked on stage last night at those talented boys and girls, and scattered throughout the choir were children of actors and actresses and rock stars, a little middle school girl we noticed acting on “Modern Family” just the night before, and a blind musical savant who has been featured on “60 Minutes” on multiple occasions — not to mention the daughter of a poor law student. An amazing, talented, eclectic group of children, all singing with one spectacular voice.
I sort of get why music teachers get cut when you have to make hard choices. But not really. In the end, it’s hard to trump the value of anyone who can teach us how to sing with one voice. We need much more of those people, not less.
Minutes to Memories 