On Sunday afternoon, March 3, I went with Tom Ediger to see "A Night at the Movies," a Nebraska City Apple Corps Presentation at the Nebraska City High School Auditorium.
We enjoyed the two hours of entertainment by the three groups.
For your enjoyment, check out the slide show from the afternoon's festivities.
On November 8 this past winter, the Apple Corps and the Belles performed at Peru State, and I enjoyed the chance to hear them sing again.
The program on Sunday featured an exceptional and talented barbershop quartet, Main Street: Roger Rose, Tenor; Tony De Rosa, Lead, Mike McGee, Baritone; and Myron Whittlesey, Base.
I have a number of videos to format and will link them over the next few days. For now, enjoy the photographs.
On March 1, Chet Harper and I spent 3:00-5:00 at Tarkio Elementary for a Dr. Seuss program for the school's Kindergarten and First Grade classes.
Near as everyone can figure, we have read Dr. Seuss books to the youngsters and entertained them with our rather zany version of Green Eggs and Ham for at least the last ten and perhaps eleven years.
The first video features fun with reading, hopping and popping, and the youngsters' singing "Green Eggs and Ham." And for those of you who have not seen our version of "Green Eggs and Ham" or who simply enjoy punishment, take a look at the video of the Tarkio madness.
Chet and I thank the teachers and staff at TarkioElementary School for inviting us back all these years and The Mule Barn Theater Guild for its continued support of the program.
We dedicate this year's Dr. Seuss celebration to the late Leland Crapson, who dutifully attended our performance for many years; we missed his presence at this year's fun.
Sunday, February 26, the Peru State College Concert Band and the Hoyt Street Jazz Ensemble filled the College Theater with challenging and delightful music.
To enjoy a slide show from the evening's entertainment ordo download photographs, check out the photographs I posted.
Dr. Pat Fortney directed the Peru State College Concert Band's major piece for the evening, the challenging and beautiful Der Traum Des Oenghus, Teil 1 and Teil 2.
Listen to the twenty-four minute performance in two parts, ONE and TWO.
After the Concert Band's performance, the always exciting Hoyt Street Jazz Ensemble delighted the audience. I recorded two numbers from the band's program, Manteca and Tell Mama, a song that features Jade Pauseforreaction Gordon on vocals.
Thursday morning at 11:00 in the Fine Arts Recital Hall, an appreciative audience filled the hall beyond capacity to greet and to talk with the Sapp Brothers.
Bill and Lee Sapp own and operate, among other business interests, the Sapp Brothers Truck Stops that dot freeways between Pennsylvania and Utah--many will recognize the one across the bridge from Nebraska City along Interstate 29.
The entrepreneur brothers, authors of The Sapp Brothers' Story: Tough Times, Teamwork, and Faith answered questions from the audience for nearly and hour, discussing, among other things, their faith, their family, and their successful business careers.
The short video I made includes various sections of the exchanges between the brothers and the audience.
John Hnida, Thomas Horkey, Laura Fortney, Phil Chinske, and Pat Fortney
SOUL SPECIMEN
On Tuesday night after Honor Choir, I went to Shooters Bar down the hill from the college to photograph, to film, and to enjoy Soul Specimen's sounds.
The Fat Tuesday fun attracted a good crowd to Shooters, and I stayed for a set and took a series of pictures that feature the band members and the horns that joined Soul Specimen for a number. Two of the videos I created showcase Laura Fortney on vocals, the first a Soul Specimen original the group performed live for the first time that evening.
To conclude the first set, Laura and the band belted out "White Rabbit," a song she last performed while very pregnant at Oakfest this past September.
You will also enjoy a part of the entertaining jam session, All That Brass, that includes Wil Gleason on Trumpet, Jake Acers on Trumpet, Michael Casavant on Trombone, and Pat Fortney on Tuba.
On Wednesday, February 23, only a couple weeks after Chris Raabe'svisit, another Peru State Graduate and English Major, Todd Gottula returned to his alma mater to talk with Dr. Dan Holtz's Senior Seminar about his career since graduating in 1995.
Todd has for the past couple years served as Vice President/Event Booking for the Viaero Event Center in Kearney, Nebraska, which features events from Ice Hockey to a Miranda Lambert concert.
Prior to this position, Todd worked as a journalist for the Kearney Hub and continues to write, from time to time, articles for that paper and others outside Nebraska.
Todd talked about a variety of interesting things about his career in relation to the education--about English, Journalism, Music, and Sports--he took from his years at Peru State College.
The short video I recorded from a part of his talk relates to some of these connections in the discussion about the arc of Todd's career since his graduation. I also uploaded a few photographs from the visit.
Nebraska City Apple Corps
Belles-A-Peelin'
Main Street Quartet
On Sunday afternoon, March 3, I went with Tom Ediger to see "A Night at the Movies," a Nebraska City Apple Corps Presentation at the Nebraska City High School Auditorium.
performed at Peru State, and I enjoyed the chance to hear them sing again.
Tenor; Tony De Rosa, Lead, Mike McGee, Baritone; and Myron Whittlesey, Base.
