Party in the USA

The middle school gave a little concert last week. Junior High kids are so awesome. I just get the biggest kick out of them. So I love going to their concerts.

The orchestra played. They sounded nice. The choir sang a song. They sounded good. Then things got interesting.

One 7th grade boy walked away from the choir. He was headed towards the keyboard. The director is whispering to him, “Hey, no, not yet. Come back. We’re not doing that song yet.” Turning beet red, and smiling, he sheepishly walked back to the choir. The director comes to the mic and says, “We’re just a little bit excited about our last song.”

LOL!

So they sing their second song while all the parents are wondering, “What on earth is the last song they’re so excited about?”

So after the song is over, the boy heads back to the keyboard and the director comes to the mic.

“So, the students are really excited to sing this next song for you. It’s one they voted on and chose themselves to sing for you and they’re just really excited about it. It’s Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus.”

At this, I did laugh out loud again. Seriously? Miley Cyrus?

The director ends his little introduction with a ”Woo-hoo!” in total 7th grade girl fashion. I was totally cracking up. The director is hilarious and there is just no way to even describe how silly this moment was. But I thoroughly enjoyed it.

And so we watched these kids sing Miley Cyrus’ Party in the USA. (Do me a favor. Don’t try to watch Miley Cyrus sing it on YouTube. You don’t want to watch that). But there were our kids, in concert dress of black and white, singing it with pure joy.

And that director got them to enjoy music. And along the way, he’s taught them that God is the great Director and the creator of music. And that in all things we glorify God. And that somehow, yes, they can glorify God when they sing that silly song because they are giving credit to the Creator and Director of music and their lives.

And that, my blog readers, is simply what Christian Education is about.

Oh, and then the band played, which Sarah is also in. (By the way, did you find her in that choir picture? Top row, about the fourth girl from the left or so. It’s hard to tell with all those hands…)

Their band sounds very good – their director is talented and has made the squeaks and squawks that plagued our homes the first few months of playing in 5th grade turn into pretty awesome music. My favorite was when they played Freedom by Michael W. Smith. They were proud and they should be. I was proud of every kid in that room that day. Especially this pretty flutist in the middle.