Partway through the weekend -

We enjoyed heading out to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium last night for the 61st annual Stairway to the Stars, put on by the combined music departments of the Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District. Bonny said last year's was better - and if it was, it must have been spectacular, because last night was a wonderful show - 1,000 students, grades 4 through 12, singing in choral groups or playing in orchestras and bands - a performance that would be worthy of the oft-overworked adjective awesome!!

Ella sang in the combined middle school chorus and Ara played flute in the combined middle school band. From the start, with all 1,000 students - and the audience - singing and playing The Star Spangled Banner - the program was off to a rousing start. A few of my faves: the combined middle and high school bands playing Loch Lomond, the combined elementary, middle school and high school choirs singing Down in the River to Pray, the elementary and middle school choir singing selections from Les Miserables, and a pretty exciting high school jazz band. At the start and at the finish, all 1,000 students performed Stairway to the Stars, apparently the inspiration for the whole program, lo these many years. (I loved that they showed the lyrics on the Jumbotron and invited the audience to sing at the end!!)

Interspersed throughout the program were the obligatory tributes, acknowlegedments, awards, and raffle drawings - but they kept everything going at a nice clip. The guest conductor was from the music department at USC, and the award recipient was a former Stairway of the Stars participant who is now working on stage - currently in Jersey Boys in Las Vegas. He gave a great speech about how he wasn't a very good student until things fell into place after 4th grade when he got into the music program the district has always tried to provide!

Apparently there is a bond measure that hopes to save the music program - since it is being decimated by budget cuts from Sacramento - in case you've been living in a vacuum for the past year or two, the education picture in California is pretty grim. Cutting and slashing of jobs and programs is rampant, so there were appeals to the audience to support Measure A for their district - and to encourage neighbors to do the same. It is certainly a program that ought to be saved. When will the world acknowledge that music and the arts might even be more important than math and science!!

We were all hungry, so we went to Norm's after - I love a good "breakfast for dinner" at Norms!! It is so great to hang with the lovely Bolander girls and their mom and dad. After all their hard work, they are now set to enjoy not one, but two weeks of Spring Break!!

Before I hustled out of school on Friday - leaving quite a mess that I won't think about until Tuesday, because we have Monday off for Cesar Chavez Day - we had a shower for my co-worker Sarah, who is going out on maternity leave.

And Robyn and kids are still here - Corey's wedding is today - so Dad remains a popular grandfather figure for Sophie!!

I'm playing catch-up with the laundry right now and definitely need to go to the store for milk and bread anyway - so we won't starve!! There is lots that needs doing - but I may read a book or rent a movie instead!!

I'm looking forward to the day of rest - followed by a day off school!!