I used one of my saved holidays from my day job as an ad guy at the local paper for today's gig, since it was from about 3:45 to almost 5 pm, and a 40 minute drive from Shelton. The drive was pleasant, the school was wonderful and the staff were outstanding. Every detail of the food and decor were top class, and I really enjoyed the restaurant-grade chocolate cake with raspberry filling. The teachers really enjoyed hearing me play as they took in the banquet; one teacher told me that it was so nice and relaxing that hearing me every day would be just great if that were possible. After the performance, I was given three pieces of cake to bring home for my wife, my daughter and myself. I would like to thank Terri Frost, Linda Black and the entire staff of Mary M. Knight for hiring me to perform cello solos, it was a wonderful experience.
I performed selections of classical from Bach, Mozart, etc. and contemporary from Duke Ellington and the Beatles to Phil Collins and Elton John. The latter two compositions were selections from "Tarzan" and "The Lion King" that were particularly well-suited for the occasion.
What a great idea to hold this banquet event to show some recognition and appreciation to the hard working teachers and staff. Other schools and organizations could learn a valuable lesson from the classy people at Mary M. Knight High School, even if they already do something like this.
