What happens when a talent scout from America’s Got Talent (AGT) asks you and your students to audition for their show? Well, I’m not sure what you would do - but we freaked out! After accepting the invitation I began writing (a process that usually begins with waking up a 3 a.m. after literally dreaming-up the ideas), video taping the various parts (lots of parts) for students to practice during their free time, and sending out all the different links to my students. These kids watched the links and even practiced while on their Winter break from school. These kids were pumped. Where I was hoping to be inspiring to my students they ended up inspiring me! It’s cool to have people who believe in what you’re doing. The parents supported and helped when I asked for the financial support required to purchase the needed supplies. We bought buckets, trashcans, PVC pipes, red shirts (no Star Trek jokes, please) and whistles, too. As with anything worth doing, there are usually some things which happen that are unplanned. A few hours into traveling to Houston our moving truck starting breaking apart - things were actually falling off! We ended up using duct tape to help fix the problems. We also learned how several of our student’s parents had actually driven different vehicles during the trip as their cars had broken down completely along the way. The people at AGT thoughtfully designated a large space for us to use during our 90-second performance. After trekking long distances, riding escalators, carrying heavy equipment, we set up and waited for a producer to watch us perform. And then - a producer brought in a filming crew and asked if we were ready... We flew like eagles as my students put on the best percussion performance of their lives - most of whom still had many years ahead before they reach teenaged years. The entire performance area at AGT was filled with dancers, singers, instrumentalists, magicians, actors and all kinds of entertainers. When we finished our presentation with a loudly shouted “HEY,” there was a moment of absolute silence (the kind where time feels like it’s standing still), followed by loud thunderous applause from those very same onlooking performers. This was a moment I will never, ever forget, and that moment of silence was the best part. These kids felt encouraged and now know what it’s like to work hard, stay focused and perform at the top of their game. Their reward is found in the exciting experience of auditioning and being able to produce a great performance when it counted the most. My hope in sharing this story is to inspire an entire nation of musicians to help kids know that they can follow their dreams. Promo: youtube/watch?v=jCHIw5... Full episode: drumtalktv/portfolio/ed-fr... youtube/watch?v=HzVD1ili11s&feature=youtu.be
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 18:11:58 +0000
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