Going to State

I only have a fuzzy idea of what it is all about but Ray has qualified for a state music competition. I guess it is a competition - it is called All State Solo Ensemble. He was practicing after school for a few weeks with 4 other boys in a brass quintet, then announced that he needed a ride to Bellingham for a regional event. Off we went - it turns out to be quite a big deal. There were hundreds of kids there. It was all organized and judged and our kids won. Maybe it was their rating or score but in any case, they qualified for state. Hooray! Emails began to arrive - make your hotel reservations for April because Ellensburg is a small town and the prices go up and the rooms go fast. Hire a coach, arrange schedules so five active teenagers and the music teacher can meet somehow, somewhere, often. It is all very doable and we are very proud of Ray and his friends. They sounded really good.