It was a windy evening in San Luis Obispo and the Monday Club was empty. It was a curious little building, and a little out of place surrounded by restaurants and hotels. Julia Morgan, the famous architect who had so masterfully worked on Hearst’s Castle, designed and built this place for a women’s club. Now it is rented out for all sorts of events, from concerts to wedding receptions. Today it was going to be used for a recital of young musicians who take lessons at the local music store.
The hall was opened and they pulled up Dan’s truck. The camper-shell cover opened to reveal a full sound system, several guitar and bass amps, a lighting setup, and a handful of guitars. Dan, the owner of Grand Central Music, and Forrestt, one of the music teachers, unloaded the gear and discussed deep, meaningful issues like what to do with one’s life and what the future held. It took them about an hour to set-up. Pat, the other teacher, had shown up during that time and they took it upon themselves to make sure everything was ready for the kids and their parents to arrive. With half an hour to spare, they decided to go next door to the mexican restaurant for a quick drink. Pre show nerves always needed a little coaxing to mellow out. Glasses were raised and a toast was made. “It’s You’re guy’s time to shine! Cheers!”
Parents were already claiming chairs in front and the kids were already in the back running around like monkeys. The stage was set, so it was just a matter of running the backstage area, tuning the guitars and getting everyone in order. All the nervous energy in the air about performing in front of just under a hundred people was obviously highly contagious. So much so that Pat got real quiet and retreating at one point, which is not one of his normal traits.
The show got started and everyone took their seats. One after one, children of all ages sat on stage with their instructor and performed short rock and roll pieces. There was some Hendrix, some Guns and Roses, some Pink Floyd, and all sorts of other genres. All the kids were amazing, and no one really choked on stage due to nerves. Which was funny because one of the instructors, Forrestt, made several mistakes that day, while most of his students did not.
After each performance the roar of applause was deafening. All those proud parents out there hooting and clapping and carrying on, it made everyone absolutely positive about one’s song, whether the performance was perfect or not. It was such a great thing for these nervous kids. All that work practicing over and over again. They finally got to see the fruits of their labor.
Although next time, Forrestt would double check the program he made, to make sure he didn’t accidentally omit one of his own students or list other students three times. He caught some flak for that one.
**Disclaimer** This video is from One Year ago’s recital:
