A Rare Treat These Days Underscoring The Importance Of Arts Education
Lincoln Middle School in Alameda represents a rarity in schools these days, with its ongoing, decades long music program marching band tradition.
The band’s time honored performance on Alameda’s “Christmas Tree Lane,” the festive block of Thompson Avenue, took to the streets, or more specifically to a front yard, for its annual performance at the site.
This video gives a glimpse into the program, some logistics of a foot travel based outdoor performance and some of the people, notably Band instructor Jesse Russell, who come together to get the kids on foot and on stage.
STORY FOOTNOTE:
News journalists often wait many hours, days or longer for sources to reply –if they even do—but this story was either fated to be or just darn lucky.
Only seven hours or so before the band took it to Thompson, I had called the school to get a hold of the Band teacher to arrange a time a place to interview about the program. Of course, being always overloaded, teachers don’t often have the time to get back in short order.
Little did I know, the band would be on the march that very evening.
As I drove to the always perilous corner of Lincoln Ave and Garfield, like a band of angels in white, the kids, teacher and parent traffic guardians emerged from the dark just down the block.
It was a stream of utter perfection, and there they were, right before my very eyes.
Quick! Grab the cell phone (a handy, second rate video device) and put a vid together on the fly.
Moral of the story: once in a while fortuity and serendipity make for a story, and a videographer has good fortune smile upon one. But don’t count on it…..