Last year I had the honor of being a 2011 winner of the Jefferson Award for my service to the Bay Area. I have been directing The Anything Goes Chorus for over 30 years and have brought singing to thousands of people, both students and audiences. The Jefferson Awards are a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. They began in 1972 to create a Nobel Prize for public service and are presented on two levels: national and local.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Last night I attended the Jefferson Awards Ceremony at Herbst Theater in San Francisco. The octet that I direct, Girlfriendz, sang in the lobby as people arrived and added lovely a cappella singing to the evening. Among the presenters in the ceremony were Kate Kelly and Sharon Chin from CBS Channel 5 and one of the founders, Sam Beard. It was truly an exceptional event. There were movies about the winners and also personal presentations by several of them. Hearing the stories of these wonderful people and seeing them in person was incredibly moving. It was a thrill for me be on the stage with all 52 of the Bay Area winners (one for each week of the year). I had no idea I would get a medal, and such a lovely one. For me to be in the company of so many ordinary people doing extraordinary things was both humbling and uplifting. It was a wonderful night and it brought a much needed hopeful message to all who attended, and more than compensated for our daily onslaught of dismal news.
So to all my students: I hope you understand that each one of you is actually making a difference in our community by sharing your voice. Making music, sharing it with each other and bringing it to people---these are powerful and positive forces for good. Thank you for being my students and for letting me lead you in song. I feel blessed that I have this gift to share. I could not do my work without you.
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1 comment:
I'm so proud of you. You are a special gift to everyone. Dianna
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