“That Was Fun!”
On Friday, June 10, Forté had the immense privilege of helping to celebrate the career of our friend, Kate Myers. After 31 years of teaching band in Colorado Springs District 11, Kate is retiring in style! Kate threw herself a party in the form of a concert, “That Was Fun! Celebrating Music and the People Who Make It!” For this concert, she invited several local musicians to play anything they wanted, as long as their selection(s) were FUN (for the performers)! Between Forté, the Dreamweavers, and the Pikes Peak Ringers, handbells were well represented!
Dillon Ekle and Bonnie Linder playing “Stars and Stripes Forever” for Organ 4 hands and 4 feet
Forté performed Richard Kean’s “Brewery Tap.” Other musicians on the program included Stephen Myers (marimba and drums, playing Julie Davila’s “Salsa Verde”), Mary Durham (voice and guitar, performing her original compositions, “Everything I Am” and “Give God a Hug”), Vincent and MaryAnne Lemoine (string players, playing PDQ Bach’s “Sonata for 1 Viola, 4 Hands”), Bonnie Linder (pipe organ, joined by our own Dillon Ekle, playing Elizabeth and Raymond Chenault’s arrangement of Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” for Organ 4 Hands and 4 Feet), Jane and Randy Richards (Denver’s Dreamweavers, performing Kevin McChesney’s duet arrangement of William Bradbury’s “Just As I Am”), Tamara Teske Lenz (voice, performing “Feeling Good” by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse), Thomas Wilson (trumpet, performing Raymond Scott’s “The Toy Trumpet”), and the Pikes Peak Ringers (performing “Exultate” by Jason Krug and “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” by Journey and arranged by Keith Burt).
Here are Kate’s own words from the concert program:
Retirement Party
The mother of one of my elementary classmates threw her own party when she retired after teaching for many years at Sabin. Marie Sullivan rocked it out just as she saw fit, making it just the kind of party she wanted, and I was inspired to do the same. After many interesting discussions with good friends I decided my retirement party would be a concert followed by a reception.
That Was Fun
While I was teaching, at the end of every class I would pick a song the students liked to play and tell them that we are now going to play the “fun version.” I’d say, “We’ve worked hard today on some new and challenging things. If trying those things sounds like fun — do it! If trying those things is stressful — don’t do it! When you take the instrument away from your mouth you must be able to say ‘That Was Fun’ and mean it.” So this concert/reception/party is titled “That Was Fun!” Today’s performers were given the same instructions, only do this if it sounds like fun, and only perform something that you can say was fun at the end.
Celebrating Music and the People Who Make It
Music has always been the healthy, life-supporting spine through all of my adventures in this very blessed life. I want to celebrate that. It is about the performer and the composer, yes, and not only about them. It is also about their parents and all of their teachers. And it is about the teachers and parents of the teachers and parents. And about the music publishers and distributors, and instrument manufacturers, and all of their parents and teachers back through time. The God I believe in delights in and celebrates when that many people are working together through the ages and across the world to create something wonderful. Thank you for celebrating with me!
- Kate Myers -
Thank you, Kate, for including us in this FUN celebration of music, and congratulations on entering this new phase of life! You have moved and inspired so many hundreds of people, young and old, with your enthusiasm and love of music, and we are so proud to have joined you in this concert!
