Next Gen on the Road Residency

Our fifth and seventh graders had a wonderful opportunity this past weekend, having been accepted for a residency with the Next Gen on the Road.

John played the Sonatina No. 38 by Beethoven in a piano Master Class with Kwan Yi. Mary played the Gigue from the Sonata in d minor by Veracini in violin Master Class with Victoria Pan, and the Concerto in g minor, 3rd mvt., BWV 1058, by J.S. Bach in piano Master Class with K Sekino. Also, Mary, being a strings player, was invited to join in the side-by-side rehearsal and later the public concert for the Holberg Suite, Op. 40, by Grieg. (Orchestras have only one pianist at most, so piano students were not invited to join.)

Rehearsal for Holberg Suite

John's Master Class

Chris and I split Saturday in half, each of us staying with the children at the Next Gen event for half the day. It is important to us as parents to protect moral virtue by chaperoning as much as we can. I got to attend the luncheon, which was so very useful. The many professional musicians who are professors at East Carolina University sat amongst us all, as did the music major college students, and they all led discussions with these young folk and offered professional career advice. Sitting at our table was the cellist Emmanuel Gruber, who I saw perform live some years ago, and he was eminently delightful to speak with. I was impressed with how they spoke so honestly and respectfully to my 10- and 12-year-olds, treating them not as equals per se but truly as peers in the musical performing world.

After Mass on Sunday, while Chris was attending a church meeting, I hustled all the children to get Mary a quick meal and then get her settled for her sound check and final rehearsal. Then Chris joined us--our having taken two cars--and we got dinner for the rest of us, and settled in for the two-hour, free concert. This was quite a treat for the public as normally the tickets to see Next Gen on the Road or its parent group, the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, are pricey.

The concert was held at the exquisitely beautiful and historic Myers Park Baptist Church which, although it has strayed quite far from its theological roots and I'm sure many Baptists are rolling over in their graves, has maintained its architectural beauty. The campus landscaping also was exceptional and showed tremendous professionalism by its landscape architects over many decades: what a treat for me!

During most of the concert, Chris stayed out in the narthex with the three little boys so I could sit far up front with John and Mary. The little boys were happy as clams coloring!

Three boys who have captured my heart

Joseph (almost 7) then got to sit inside the sanctuary in the very back pew so his dad could keep an eye on him through a window. Joseph was engrossed and often conducting with his hands.

The final piece was the Holberg Suite, Op. 40, by Grieg, as performed by the professors of music at ECU, the music major students, and local youth, such as Mary. Most of the 33 local students participating were notably older--upper middle school and high-school--and I only saw two other children particularly young, like Mary. I was so impressed that she had learned to play this 18-minute piece of music having received the sheet music only one week prior. In fact, there was even a mix-up and she did not receive the final movement of the piece so she ended up sight reading it for the first time live during the rehearsal on Saturday!

Next Gen requested we not post publicly on social media any video clips, so I will honor that and not post the Holberg Suite here. However, we were granted permission to share privately with individual family and friends, so any of our loved ones is welcome to email me for the link to the unlisted video.

The only time David (2) was loud was right in between movements of the Holberg Suite when he began screaming back in the narthex during the silent, pregnant pause. The first violinist (who founded Next Gen 20 years ago) set the tone by starting to giggle and the entire orchestra followed laughing for just a few moments--which I'm sure they never would have done during a professional event, but this was just a bit more family-oriented and casual! I just chuckled along with the crowd, but my cover was blown as the Mama of the Screaming Toddler when Chris let David loose within seconds of the concert ending and he ran up the Very Long Aisle from the back of the church to me with the biggest smile on his face, arms flung outward, crying triumphantly, "Mama! Mama! Mama!" Mommy and baby were reunited after two long hours . . . and everyone knew whose baby was making noise!

Joyous girl after the concert

We really had no idea what to expect when our music teachers asked us to apply for this event and we got in, but the experience was inspiring and instructive and we sure look forward to participating again, if we are so honored.