A lasting legacy of music in Van Wert

I need to ask you to excuse my reminiscing of the past couple decades, but with each musical event I am involved with, I realize it may be my last. This reality hit me as I helped present the Young Artists Recital this past Sunday afternoon. It was our 16th annual and my final one to organize and run. High school student musicians from all over Van Wert County are featured in this showcase of instrumental and vocal performances.

The idea of this came to me out of my years of performing, educating and observing solo and ensemble participants. I noticed students working up musical pieces with perhaps months of preparation, to eventually perform them in front of an adjudicator and a handful of friends, teacher, and family members. The penultimate of this was performing in a school classroom with audience members sitting in school desks and chairs. This is not meant to demean the value of playing for an adjudicator. I feel this experience is very educational and should be done, however, performing music should be gratifying to the performer and the audience too!  If students don’t feel the gratification of performing music for others, the love for doing it will never be acquired.

This brought me to the idea of taking the school adjudicated performances and make a performance recital of the best for the public to enjoy as well as fellow teachers and students.  Thus, the Van Wert County Young Artists Recital was born. This past Sunday was our 16th annual recital. Each year, there are students who are honored, scared, and excited to be a part of it. The look of relief on the faces of student performers once they finish can be felt by most everyone.  What a growing exercise it is though. Musically, the student learns, but personally they do likewise. An exercise in maturity comes to mind.

One other factor comes to mind. Instead of performing in a school classroom, they now step out on stage in a beautiful setting of First United Methodist Church in front of well-wishers instead of critics. This has to be humbling and encouraging all at the same time. The acoustics of the church are magnificent, due to the wisdom and foresight of those who installed the tiled flooring rather than carpet. This with the magnificent arches of the church build natural confidence in someone performing music.

As I took to the stage following the recital to give one last thank you to the students, teachers and accompanists, I looked out at the many community members, family, friends, music lovers and appreciators as well as the young student performers. I choked up thinking of the legacy we have preserved in Van Wert for the value of good music. My time at The Van Wert County Foundation was always driven by the heritage of such people as Gaylord and Eliza Saltzgaber. I knew that whatever I could accomplish was due in large part because of them and their love for music and the legacy they left the people of Van Wert.

I highly doubt the Saltzgabers would believe what their initial investment to The Van Wert County Foundation has accomplished.  We have a popular outdoor summer music series, we recognize student musicians in recitals, we conduct a biennial community Messiah performance, we help send students to college to further their music education, and we have a $10 million performing arts center which attracts thousands to our city for culture and musical entertainment. That is quite a legacy!

As I stood on the stage at First United Methodist Church and looked at the students who had just performed in the Young Artists Recital, I wondered if they realize all this. I tried to express my feelings to them and just hope that they will grow up and appreciate what they have been blessed with in Van Wert!

FINÉ.