Leading a series of sing-alongs! This is the old man playing 3, and playing knick-knack on my knee . . .
Your turn! Can't hear you!
Da-da, da-da-da-da-da-da!
On John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, we kept getting softer ... and then louder for the Da-Das.
Real quiet - nice job, I can barely hear you.
And one more scary face. Da-da, da-da-da-da-da-daaaa!
Struggling a little with Day-O
Getting some help from the orchestra members
They're happy - AND they know it - so they're clapping their hands!
You can't really tell - but this is the OTHER half of the orchestra, for the "happy and you know it" encore.
"HOO-RAY!"
Conductor Phil Bauman takes a seat while I share a favorite story ...
... Robert Munsch's "Stephanie's Ponytail."
Thank you veddy much.
Phil conducted variations on "Happy Birthday," as it might have sounded during different musical periods in history.
With accompanying silly hats.
Phil and I narrated this tour through time, talking about various composers and styles. I sounded like I knew what I was talking about, but it was all an act.
For the classic rock Happy Birthday, of course we needed the electric guitar.
More singing along.
You can definitely see here what a large audience we had - certainly one of the biggest crowds I've told a story to.
Phil and I both went through a few costume changes - but he wins with this vest.
The concert also featured soloists Amanda Haack ...
and Tom Coe, who were both amazing.
And the Michigan City Soul Steppers were show stoppers.
save
Everybody on stage one last time.
For the family concert, there were a lot of pre-concert activities.
Patriotic temporary tattoos. That's my wife and daughter - Elinor proudly identified later that she was wearing the Statue of Liberty AND George Washington.
This was a great opportunity for kids to actually get their hands on some of the instruments, and learn from orchestra members, like Stan Shepherd here.
More musicians and kids connecting before the show.
There was also crafting, and face-painting. And you can see a storyteller in the back there, looking for somebody to tell a story to.
If you'll notice, some people have rubber duckies. We all squeaked together on a sing-along of Rubber Ducky!
My daughter Elinor gets a music lesson, while my wife Kerry looks on.
By the way, all these photos, before and during the concert, are from two guys, who took several hundred each. If I can find out from LCSO who they were, I'll give them their due.
Amanda tries out the karaoke!
Storyteller has found an audience.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM, SAM I AM!!!
