Renae Bloch is a organizer par excellence, and she showed her talents fully yesterday as she coordinated her studio and the Greater Flute Society of Philadelphia representatives in a holiday concert for the residents of the Wiley Home in Evesham, NJ. My student Miranda and I headed up 295 to Renae's studio to rehearse with a quartet from FSGP, have some lunch, meet with Renae's students, and then head over to the concert close by. There, Renae set up stands, tuned flutists, organized seating, let us know our places, MC-ed, and conducted/played the whole concert. Someone's metal stand started sinking, and there was Renae, manipulating the lock. The alto flute curved head not in sight? There she was, taking it out and using sanitizing spray on it.. Stand kicked over-she was there. All with a calm and professional air. I simply did what I was told. We started with the quintet, then the high school students joined us, then the middle schooler's, and finally the little ones. The long song list was in each folder, and Renae even had the words to the carols printed in big type so the residents could join in the carol sing-along.
The residents clapped along, sang, rocked, smiled, and generally enjoyed the music, the young vibrant performers (I was not in that category-I was the old and vibrant player...) and the joy that filled that room. To me, this is what the holidays are about. Sharing the joy of music with people that otherwise would not hear it. I left moved and grateful to be part of such an event. I will do it next year and bring more students.
So I wish you all a holiday season filled with moments of joy and sharing such as this, with gratitude for the Renae's around us that can put events like this in motion.
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