Blogophilia Week 47.15 – Passion of the Soul

Blogophilia group on Facebook HERE

Blog topic parameters & how it works HERE

Hard Bonus: Include a Latin phrase or saying

Easy Bonus: Incorporate a song title by The Moody Blues

Colorful Personality

I am blessed to be in various groups, online & in person, who have a lot of Passion of the Soul. Avid writers of various forms, plant growers of different types, musicians & other artists, cooks/chefs, and more! I admire them all, because everyone offers something unique, and where there is a creative passion, there’s always something else that has fire underneath it.

Aside from cooking & playing music, I used to be a lot more active in social justice, especially as a student. Whether it was women’s issues, multicultural, or what have you, it was always about empowering people. When I realized that I have a voice that is heard, it was self empowerment. In 2011, I went to the State Capitol to speak on an issue I introduced to a couple of my elected officials to protect abused children. The hearing with the Criminal Justice Committee was really early in the morning. I’d forgotten my notes in my car and didn’t have time to go back to get them, so I had to Ad Lib my testimony… It was definitely felt from the heart, and was harder than the one jazz solo I did on my tenor sax in college… Every one of us have “A Story In Your Eyes” and it’s always good to Semper Ubi Sub Ubi (always where under where), a phrase we used for our class in high school Latin.

Speaking of music, though, I want to remind people that the Racine Concert Band hosts a series of winter/spring concerts in conjunction with 4 of the Racine high schools as part of community education and various band members take time to coach & mentor the students for the upcoming concert. You can support this effort plus more by donating or becoming a sponsor. Here is concert info:

• Who: Racine Concert Band & Case High School Band
• What: A full concert featuring Case, then RCB, and a final combined piece
• Where: Case High School 7345 Washington Ave. Racine, WI 53406
• When: Thursday, May 23, 2024 @ 7pm
• How: Get your tickets online through Ticket Spicket (no cash sales on site)
• Why: The concert experience is best in person

Pieces include a nice variety. You may or may not know that the band celebrated 100 years of free music to the Racine community in 2022. The composer for the opening piece for this show did a commissioned work for the band that we played in January called “Into Our Father’s Arms”, which we were the first to play the world premier. Silver Surroundings was commissioned to celebrate UW-Parkside Community Band’s 25th anniversary season.

These are what is being played by the Racine Concert Band, which includes the final combined piece with the Case High School Students, which is another commissioned piece that was meant for the band to play with the Case band for the 100th year celebration in May of 2022. Due to the schools being virtual that year due to the shutdown, the combination didn’t get to happen. So, this year, finally, we get to make this happen!

• Silver Surroundings by James Crowley
• Suite Divertimento by Germaine Talleferre
• Early Light by Carolyn Bremer
• Scotch Strathspey and Reel by Percy Grainger
• Vanishing Point by Randall D. Standridge
• Florentiner March (Grande marcia Italiana) by Julius Fucik
• Fanfare & Celebration by Daniel J. Van Gelderen

More information of the 2022 Centennial Celebration can be found on the Racine Concert Band website. I hope to see as many people as possible here, in support of good music, good people, good times, and more good! Be there, or be square!