Josh Renaud's weblog detailing the exploits of his family in Ferguson, MO, USA. Starring Yoli, Jadzia, Ludi, Josie, and Joseph Renaud.
Yoli and the St. Louis Classical Guitar Orchestra performed a bunch of times this year, but their final two concerts in December were especially noteworthy because they performed Christmas music in two new venues: the University City Public Library and the St. Louis Art Museum.
Continue reading “New venues for the St. Louis Classical Guitar Orchestra”
This spring, Yoli and the St. Louis Classical Guitar orchestra performed their program “World Dances Across Time” in two venues. I made a video of their April concert, which was special because it also featured a quartet premiering several new pieces commissioned by Dan Rubright, who played unique classical guitars built by the luthier Alvin Fry.
Please watch/listen! I think you’ll especially enjoy their finale, “Take On Me”.
Yoli is part of the St. Louis Classical Guitar Orchestra. Earlier this year, the group performed a concert at the High Low venue. More recently, they played at the Kirkwood Public Library on Nov. 19.
Joseph (who just turned 13 last month) marched with the STEAM Academy Middle School’s band in the Valley of Flowers parade! He began playing clarinet last fall, and we’ve been so impressed with his progress.
This was a new experience for everyone — Joseph, us, even the school.
STEAM was one of the last groups in the parade, and I was stationed near the end of the route, so it took a LOT of waiting to see him. Once he came past, I shot some video, then kept sprinting ahead to try to get photos. After doing that several times, I started getting the stinkeye from the kids.
The temperatures reached 93°, which is pretty hot for early May. Joseph later said that the parade experience helped him learn “that cold water was 1,000,000× more valuable than gold.”
Watch this short video of Joseph and the band:
Last night Ludi was one of several student conductors at the STEAM High spring concert. It was pretty amazing to see her lead the orchestra, waving the baton.
You can watch and listen here:
Last fall, Joseph began playing clarinet with the STEAM Middle School band. This was a new instrument for Joseph, and for our family. We accepted an offer from Mary Ann, a friend at church, to use her daughter’s old clarinet, a beautiful old Buffet Crampon model made in France.
To our delight, Joseph has learned very quickly, making enormous progress since the fall. We enjoy hearing him practice, and it’s been fun to see him in the fall and spring concerts.
But disaster struck on a recent Thursday.
When Joseph and Josie came home on a recent Thursday, Joseph didn’t have his clarinet.
Yoli was certain she had seen him leave the house with it early that morning. Joseph, meanwhile, insisted he didn’t have the clarinet with him when he walked into STEAM Middle that morning.
A thorough search of our house didn’t turn up anything. When Yoli checked with the bus driver, she hadn’t found it. Nor was it in the school’s lost-and-found.
We began to feel desperate. Joseph needed to practice for his spring concert, which was just days away, and would count for a grade.
It was time to go full-on Inspector Morse … or Lynley … or Foyle … or Miss Scarlet. (We watch a lot of British inspectors)
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Ferguson offers a program called “Strings Attached” which offers students guitar lessons and the chance to earn a guitar if they stick with the program.
A spot finally opened up for Josie this year and she has worked hard. Like her older sisters, Josie often doesn’t want to practice, but she has pushed through, and performed in her first concert.
Here’s a video of Josie in action:
Josie's guitar concert from Josh Renaud on Vimeo.
Drums. Singing. Shakespeare. MLK.
What a great afternoon we had enjoying the artistry of Jadzia and other Ferguson kids!
The event was designed as a response to recent events in Ferguson and throughout St. Louis. Students from across the Ferguson-Florissant school district and neighboring districts sang, acted, and spoke in order to bring peace, joy and love through the arts.
Jadzia and a number of her Vogt schoolmates participated. Here is a video I made of some of the highlights:
We’ve been wanting a piano for a while and decided this Christmas was the right time to get one.
We found one pretty quickly that seemed good to us: it was old and had a key out of tune, but it was in Ferguson, just a few blocks away.
We’ve been counting down the days until we could have it delivered. Today was the day! Check out this video of the girls in action: