On Saturday night I took Caleb and we went to the PYP. This was a really amazing event. The PYP was actually started here in Harney County. In 1910 Mary Dodge came to Burns from Boston. She was professionally trained on the violin and started teaching here, and later began the Sagebrush Symphony Orchestra. They became nationally recognized. Later she moved to Portland, some of her students accompanied her and she continued her work there which would later be the PYP. So this year the PYP came to Burns to commemorate 100 years of the beginning of this orchestra. They talked of bringing more arts to Harney County which they desperately need. The speaker introducing the PYP spoke of beginning his career in Harney County and at that time there were 9 art faculty. Recently the school board cut visual arts leaving only ONE art faculty, the band teacher. This is definitely not okay. The arts are vital to the education of youth. You could feel the excitement of the community as they welcomed these guests. When the PYP came into town they had a firetruck welcome and treated them very well. I was brought to tears because I could feel of the gratitude and excitement of those attending. They mentioned that 11% of the population was attending and if you compared that to Portland that would be like seating 210,000 people in a concert hall. The PYP performed beautifully, definitely filling up my soul. It was really great to be sitting right next to the musicians. Caleb really enjoyed it as well.
I also updated our family blog with lots of fun halloween/fall pictures! If you want to see that just email me at madwagonboys@gmail.com to get invited:)
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