KRLS Day 2 – Schools, Libraries, Small World, and Cappucino

Today we had two presentations of our intro “Pages of Music”  program, “Music is for Everybody.” We started bright and early at 9:00 am at Crosslake School, a charter school with an environmental focus. Bright K-3 kids, good questions and participation. Their music teacher had prepped the kids well, so we supplemented our regular program with Carrie’s “Peter and the Wolf” oboe solo, accompanied by Rolf’s dramatic duck walk.

We got to our next location, Longville, with enough time to stroll the town and catch a bite at the Common Grounds Coffee Shop,  where we were surprised to run into Rolf’s Roe cousins, Del and Katherine Jacobson and one of their friends who was Godfather of their son, Rolf (Rolf E’s namesake – long story), who in turn was the pastor who baptized our daughter, Ada. Small planet, pt. 1. The sandwiches were very good and the lobster bisque was so tasty that Carrie wasn’t willing to share with her family. Rolf’s time as a Caribou barista made him a bit of a coffee snob, but he rates the cappuccino he got there as one of the best ever. Burger yesterday, fancy coffee today – can we dream of the perfect dessert tomorrow?

Longville Library imported a 2nd grade class from Remer, and the back rows were taken up by area adults. One rambunctious boy tracked incredibly well when the music started, and whistled along with Carrie’s “Twinkle, Twinkle” and came up to us afterwards perfectly whistling Grieg’s “Hall of the Mountain King” that he heard for the first time in our performance today. Small planet installment #2:  we met a woman who lived a few doors down from Rolf’s Syrdal cousins,  Alden and Becky Tetlie in St. Anthony Park

Tonight we’re staying at Anderson’s Starlight Bay Resort, owned by Rolf’s HS classmate, Sherm Anderson (planned in advance, not another wild coincidence).  Tomorrow: maybe cast a couple early daredevils, breakfast with Sherm’s family, then on to “Music is for Everybody” in Pequot Lakes, and “The Spirit Sings” in Pine River.

Guess it’s not so strange we run into so many family and friends who choose to make this area a 2nd or transplant home. We walked out on the dock to see the night sky. Ada loved how she could see so many stars, a bright Big Dipper, a shooting star, and the Milky Way, and declared she’d like to live here. It’s a rare privilege to travel to perform in a place like this, meet people like these, and see the stars more clearly.