I absolutely love my small rural town community. I feel extremely fortunate to have grown up in a town that values the arts. Not just music, but theatre and dance as well, and in particular, the success of our growing community theatre program.
For the past two months, I've had the honor and privilege of working as the orchestra director for Ellington Community Theatre's summer production of The Music Man. It was such a wonderful experience; this show includes some of the best songs that I've heard in a Broadway show, and I feel so lucky to have been able to get to know this musical and conduct the pit orchestra performances. It's incredibly well written both narratively and musically. I don't think there's a more perfect show for community theatre than this one; it is entertaining, funny, thoughtful, and romantic, but at its heart, it's a story about how the joy of music can bring a community together.
It's about a town whose citizens are so stubborn that, as they say,"can stand touching noses for a week at a time and never see eye to eye," but as soon as they hear the promise of a band in town, all of that stubbornness begins to melt away. Men who used to argue amongst themselves begin to sing together. Women stop gossiping and turn to dancing instead. A boy who is too shy to leave the house or speak to his own family because of his speech impediment gains the confidence to speak, sing, and make friends because of his excitement of learning to play music. And even though Harold Hill started out as a greedy salesman and never intended to make the band a reality, the newfound strength and pride of the River City community makes it happen and transforms the town forever.
Music builds community. That's ultimately the goal that I'm striving for as I begin teaching (while I hope to be a bit more knowledgeable and qualified than Harold Hill when teaching children how to play music!) It's all about bringing the excitement of the arts to a community and using it to bring the entire town together.
And this show did just that. It is just incredibly heartwarming to see so many people from the community - those I went to high school with, their siblings, neighbors from down the street, friends of my parents, and the teachers who have had such an important influence in my life - all working together to create art and tell a story. And most importantly, having fun! It's been less than a week since we closed, and the cast is already excited to return to the stage next year. It's that kind of spirit that I love about this community, and I really hope that I'll have the chance to be a part of this wonderful program again next summer. ♫
