Blog Entry 8 of 51
The Lakewood Lowdown
Hi, I'm Erin Feese, a community journalist here at YourHub.com.
As journalists, we are always seeking to uncover the newsy, the exciting, the weird and the heartwarming stories going on around us. The greatest part of YourHub.com is that you can be the one to tell your story. In this blog you'll find highlights of the Lakewood and Edgewater sites, as well as the musings of your friendly neighborhood journalist. So go ahead, uncover what's going on around you, and don't be afraid to share what you find.
A concert of two cities
Contributed by:
Erin Feese/YourHub.com
on 4/6/2007
After I attended the Lakewood Symphony's Sister Cities concert April 5, I had the urge to dust off my piano books and play some Mozart and Beethoven. Maybe Chopin, if I wanted to be really adventurous.
Sadly, I no longer have my own piano, but being immersed in the classical melodies was like a breath of fresh air. I had forgotten how the harmony of an orchestra can be so expressive. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The concert was a special one because it featured two students from the Sister Cities Music Scholar Exchange program.
The program is a student exchange program between Jefferson County and Chester, England. Katie Marble, of Wheat Ridge, is the Jeffco student selected to travel to England to meet and perform for its citizens.
Mark Simpson is the scholar from England sent here to talk to schools, stay with local families and of course -- perform!
Both young musicians stole the show. Katie (I loved her flowing blue dress by the way) seemed a bit nervous, but she performed fabulously once she picked up her violin. Mark, a
clarinetist, was amazing. He definitely held his own with the orchestra! Watching his face while he played, I could tell he was passionate about his music. It was a treat to hear them both.
I had the opportunity to chat with a few members of the Sister Cities program, which has adult exchanges as well as student programs.
Martha Jo Hase, of Lakewood, has been on a number of trips with the program. She said she loves the cultural experience of staying with a host family in another country.
"You really get to see how they live," she said.
Members of the program also get to host visitors in their homes.
"I love hosting the people," Hase said.
Another program member,
Joy Armbruster, added, "You really have to like people." Armbruster got involved with program when her son, a Green Mountain High School grad, participated in it. She said it has been a wonderful experience.
Lakewood resident
Jennifer Sylman has hosted music scholars for the past five years and has loved every second of it. She said having Mark Simpson stay with her family has been a blast, and she has been awed with his musical talents. When I asked when he had to leave, she exclaimed, "Don't even mention it! I want to keep him." To read about Sylman's past experiences, click
here.
To read more about the Sister Cities program, click
here.
Perhaps I will be able to participate in the program some day. I'd love to visit England or Australia. (And not just to hear the charming accents, although that's a major perk.) Hmmm, perhaps I could be sponsored as the
YourHub.com staff ambassador? It's worth a shot ...
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