Tag Archives: Kirby Shaw

Day 338: Sharon

9 Mar

Apple Crumb Pie

It was in the Fall of 2010 when I met Sharon.  She was in Kirby Shaw‘s choir (as was I) and in the same section as me (soprano).  After that initial meeting, I found out that we both had sons in the senior class at Ashland High School. Soon after, we both found ourselves on the committee that asked for and coordinated food donations from myriad businesses (My sincerest thanks to everyone that donated!  It was a smashing success!) for the Senior All-Night Party that followed graduation.  It was held at the Rogue Valley Family Fun Center.  What a night that was!  There was the initial chaos, but in short order, everything was under control thanks to Sharon and her husband, Tom.

Sharon and I share another similarity: like many of our peers, we find ourselves in the middle of life.  At one end we have children who are leaving (or preparing to leave) the nest, and at the other end, we have parents who are needing us more than before.  It is a challenging time that so many of us face, and yet, even though it is common occurrence, it is not without its difficulties.

Today when I thought of a pie recipient, Sharon came to mind. We spent a lot of time together in the last year and now that our kids have graduated, I hardly ever see her.  What has not changed though is that Sharon is still always thinking and taking care of other people.  In fact, when I went to deliver this pie to her door, she was at another friends door bringing help to them.

Tonight, I want to recognize and thank Sharon for her friendship, her selflessness, and her dedication (to her family and her community).  We are lucky to have people like her in our little hamlet.

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.  ~Douglas Pagels

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Day 315: Kirby Shaw

15 Feb


Apple Crumb Crust Pie

A little more than a year ago, I tried out for Kirby Shaw‘s choir at Southern Oregon University.  My friend Leslie encouraged me to try out because she knew how much I liked  to sing.  In fact there is a joke at her house about a night I seemed to sing every song in their music book.  Her family referred to that night “Karenoke.

To be in Kirby’s choir you must “try out” and you can do that over the phone or you can do it in person.  Since I felt much to shy to try out in person, I chose to audition over the phone.  I’d heard that many students audition with the song, “Amazing Grace” and I tried it but I wasn’t comfortable with it. Then I remembered an old song that I used to sing to my children, “Mama’s Little Baby Loves Shortening Bread” and that was what I auditioned with.  I sang into my phone for less than a minute and before I knew it I was in the choir!

All of the songs that we sang that term were sung without accompaniment.  Some of the songs didn’t even have actual words but instead had sort of scat sounds. What a challenge that was!  And then there were songs that were so beautiful sung by talented people with amazing voices.   What a class!

Of course, what really made it a great class was the instructor himself, Kirby Shaw.  He is encouraging, enthusiastic, and his love of music is so infectious that soon everyone in the room is loving it too.

Tonight I brought an Apple Crumb Crust Pie to Kirby to thank him for the gift of music that he so willingly shares with us.  We are very lucky to have him here at SOU.

“I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.”
Billy Joel

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