"...to worship You. Oh my soul rejoice. Take joy my King in what You hear. Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear."
You know what it is. The District Fine Arts Festival. Always epic. April 27-28th, 2012. If you get 36 points or higher, you move on to Nationals.
So, as you'd imagine, the Celebration Service was pretty friggin' epic. A Fun Arts kid named Kara that I remember watching in the nursery got to perform in front of hundreds (maybe about a thousand?) there doing her lovely gospel illusion, our childrens' pastor's relative Hannah got to do her unconventional percussion group in front of everybody since they received merit... theirs was so amazing-- it was called "Beat of the Nations," so for America our beat was the norm, Africa had this really African Lion King-ish sound, Latin America made everyone want to be Latino/Latina, and Europe is... well, Europe. And then Drew "Pooley" Poole merited in TWO EVENTS!!!! Gah, it was great. If you're wondering why I called him Pooley, it's because when he got called up for his drama solo, they were like:
"And now we have Drew Pool-ey from Dayton Bethel!" Apparently they didn't get that it's pronounced like the pool in "swimming pool." And then when my friend Baileigh did her dance, they got her first and last name mixed up, so apparently her first name is Howard. And then the usual happened to me--- yes, I got called Hope Ezz-el, AGAIN. Get it right, people--- Ezell like Maybelle. And Nathan and Josh called me Faith who knows how many times on purpose...
But yeah. So I performed in Large Human Video Ensemble. Well you see, I always have to pee right before it's time to perform, so I had to rush out of the bathroom barefooted to get into the ballroom on time. We did great, I think. However, I did mess up a bit... a big bit, actually. I went to the wrong spot by like, two inches, and me and "Goliath" had to switch positions. Pretty sure the judges noticed... haven't seen the score sheet yet.
Then we were still at the convention center until like, ten at night yesterday. I fell asleep in the hall on one of those seats that are long and soft enough to be your bed. Well, I ALMOST fell asleep at least. Up until I felt someone lay down on my head. I was thinking it was Josh, so I was about to say, "GET OFF OF ME, JOSH!! YOU'RE ANNOYING THE CRAP OUT OF ME!!" Then I realized, as I awoke, all these KIDS (who were probably older than me...) are laying on top, to the side--- all around me and my friends. "What the... WHAT???" I wondered. Then the kids moved on to their next victim. That's Fine Arts for ya, plus some "We love Jesus better than ice cream"s, a chorus of "Ayyyyyy! Ohhhhh!"s, and "O-H-I-O"s. I know what you're thinking... sounds more like a summer camp, less like a competition. And that's why I LOVE Fine Arts.
As of now, I performed my vocal solo nearly twelve hours ago. Yes, at 8:24 a.m., I had to get up the nerve and sing after just eating a banana. Hard to do, hard to sound good. But it was fine... after, the hotel was still serving breakfast so I got to eat some more. THAT'S how early it was. I woke up at 6:45 a.m. for it, and as soon as I was woke up, I ran to the bathroom to get ready. And guys... I am supposed to get up at 6:15 on school days because my BUS comes at around that time and I still don't get up much earlier than that.
Surely you can think of a better way to spend your Saturday, right? Um, wrong. I wouldn't wanna spend it anywhere else (because I got to miss one day of the OAAs), I wouldn't wanna spend it with anybody else, I wouldn't wanna spend it doing any other thing, I wouldn't wanna feel any other way. This weekend was great.
And sorry to those that don't agree but, this is probably the best Fine/Fun Arts Festival I've been to in awhile. Even if you didn't make Nationals, those that were there, there's gotta be something that can cheer you up--- hopefully, you did your best. Hopefully, it was all for God. And if both of those statements are true, what are you so sad about? SMILE!
I didn't make it into the Christian Band this year. They didn't make it to Nationals, but I didn't even make the cut to join. At first I was fine with it, since I only didn't make it for "Confidence" reasons. Then my mom asked our pastor why I REALLY didn't make it. Apparently I didn't sound very good either... but you can't just have everyone audition with the same song--- you can do that with the instrumentalists, but "I Am Free" doesn't work with my range. I don't care how easy you think that song is because for me it's not. I can't take it down an octave, I can't take it up an octave (which was what I had to do), and I am just now beginning to master half-keys. So I didn't make it in. At the showcase on Wednesday you could tell I was really sad about it--- I don't even think I looked at the stage until they were done performing. But yesterday, I was super excited for them--- toward the end of the song I was moshing for them and got rather dizzy. But I had to support them for many reasons.
1. For not making the cut, I wanted to show them that I still was gonna support them all the way and cheer them on. Moshing was a way to show that they were doing a great job and I was proud of them-- super proud.
2. And then also for not making the cut, I wanted to prove to them that I should have.
Well, I succeeded at both *smiles*.
Come the celebration service, I had picked up habits in the shortest amount of time possible--- bring out the Guiness book of world records. I was bitning my nails, shaking my knee, pulling on my hair--- I KNEW I wasn't gonna go to Nationals. And when I saw that my human video didn't make it, I was positive I wasn't going. Goodbye, Louisville, the city I may never see.
When they announce who's going to Nationals, they slowly show the names like ending credits of a movie--- it's quite annoying.
Female vocal solo, Jr.
I was freaking out. I knew I didn't make it--- I just knew it. After about three names the list stopped. "Hope, it's alright---" Faith started, and then... and then...
HOPE EZELL
BETHEL CHRISTIAN
DAYTON, OHIO
My entire church's section jumped screaming. Me? I made Nationals? Who am I kidding, I am only in the eighth grade. I am only thirteen. But no, I really made it. Two years in a row I've made it to Nationals. Which really it had to be this year because it's gonna be really hard on me next year when I compete against high school seniors and beautiful sopranos and booming altos. Yeah. Scary thought. Next year I'm in high school. But now, I think I'm ready to go against them.
And now, I think I know my calling. I have been putitng this off FOREVER--- I was supposed to join the youth worship team last May, you see, but that didn't work. But I need to. They need another guitarist because even though Chris and Sarah can play, they both have other instruments they wanna stick to. They don't really need another vocalist, but if they want one, alright. They would probably find it cool if they had a violinist--- my inspiration to get better at it. They need another drummer, but sorry, I can't--- you don't want me on the drums. You don't.
And then I want to join a folk band. But most of all, I wanna be that college girl sitting on the curb downtown, playing her guitar, rocking the violin, and singing requested songs. It's a win-win, get some money to pay for eating and fun stuff while using the money from a real job to pay for tuition and housing and books. But I'd love to live like that. Just me and my music... until one day some agent comes from Capitol Records or Mono Vs Stereo and is like,
"Oh look at you, you lucky girl! We want you to be signed to us!"
Yes, I love Capitol Records--- Relient K used to be signed to them, Coldplay currently is signed to them. But Mono Vs Stereo--- my, Deas Vail is signed to them! You really kinda can't say no.
So what is Fine Arts? A mission to discover, develop, and deploy your talents. Nationals should not be the only time you "Deploy" your talents. Go out to all the Nations, show them what you're made of. Sing in church, give sermons when allowed, do a dance to a worship song (Baileigh used "Beautiful Things" by Gungor) at a recital, write a poem about being relentless after the one. Write a worship song. Write a drama for the youth group. You can do anything. ANYTHING.
You know what it is. The District Fine Arts Festival. Always epic. April 27-28th, 2012. If you get 36 points or higher, you move on to Nationals.
So, as you'd imagine, the Celebration Service was pretty friggin' epic. A Fun Arts kid named Kara that I remember watching in the nursery got to perform in front of hundreds (maybe about a thousand?) there doing her lovely gospel illusion, our childrens' pastor's relative Hannah got to do her unconventional percussion group in front of everybody since they received merit... theirs was so amazing-- it was called "Beat of the Nations," so for America our beat was the norm, Africa had this really African Lion King-ish sound, Latin America made everyone want to be Latino/Latina, and Europe is... well, Europe. And then Drew "Pooley" Poole merited in TWO EVENTS!!!! Gah, it was great. If you're wondering why I called him Pooley, it's because when he got called up for his drama solo, they were like:
"And now we have Drew Pool-ey from Dayton Bethel!" Apparently they didn't get that it's pronounced like the pool in "swimming pool." And then when my friend Baileigh did her dance, they got her first and last name mixed up, so apparently her first name is Howard. And then the usual happened to me--- yes, I got called Hope Ezz-el, AGAIN. Get it right, people--- Ezell like Maybelle. And Nathan and Josh called me Faith who knows how many times on purpose...
But yeah. So I performed in Large Human Video Ensemble. Well you see, I always have to pee right before it's time to perform, so I had to rush out of the bathroom barefooted to get into the ballroom on time. We did great, I think. However, I did mess up a bit... a big bit, actually. I went to the wrong spot by like, two inches, and me and "Goliath" had to switch positions. Pretty sure the judges noticed... haven't seen the score sheet yet.
Then we were still at the convention center until like, ten at night yesterday. I fell asleep in the hall on one of those seats that are long and soft enough to be your bed. Well, I ALMOST fell asleep at least. Up until I felt someone lay down on my head. I was thinking it was Josh, so I was about to say, "GET OFF OF ME, JOSH!! YOU'RE ANNOYING THE CRAP OUT OF ME!!" Then I realized, as I awoke, all these KIDS (who were probably older than me...) are laying on top, to the side--- all around me and my friends. "What the... WHAT???" I wondered. Then the kids moved on to their next victim. That's Fine Arts for ya, plus some "We love Jesus better than ice cream"s, a chorus of "Ayyyyyy! Ohhhhh!"s, and "O-H-I-O"s. I know what you're thinking... sounds more like a summer camp, less like a competition. And that's why I LOVE Fine Arts.
As of now, I performed my vocal solo nearly twelve hours ago. Yes, at 8:24 a.m., I had to get up the nerve and sing after just eating a banana. Hard to do, hard to sound good. But it was fine... after, the hotel was still serving breakfast so I got to eat some more. THAT'S how early it was. I woke up at 6:45 a.m. for it, and as soon as I was woke up, I ran to the bathroom to get ready. And guys... I am supposed to get up at 6:15 on school days because my BUS comes at around that time and I still don't get up much earlier than that.
Surely you can think of a better way to spend your Saturday, right? Um, wrong. I wouldn't wanna spend it anywhere else (because I got to miss one day of the OAAs), I wouldn't wanna spend it with anybody else, I wouldn't wanna spend it doing any other thing, I wouldn't wanna feel any other way. This weekend was great.
And sorry to those that don't agree but, this is probably the best Fine/Fun Arts Festival I've been to in awhile. Even if you didn't make Nationals, those that were there, there's gotta be something that can cheer you up--- hopefully, you did your best. Hopefully, it was all for God. And if both of those statements are true, what are you so sad about? SMILE!
I didn't make it into the Christian Band this year. They didn't make it to Nationals, but I didn't even make the cut to join. At first I was fine with it, since I only didn't make it for "Confidence" reasons. Then my mom asked our pastor why I REALLY didn't make it. Apparently I didn't sound very good either... but you can't just have everyone audition with the same song--- you can do that with the instrumentalists, but "I Am Free" doesn't work with my range. I don't care how easy you think that song is because for me it's not. I can't take it down an octave, I can't take it up an octave (which was what I had to do), and I am just now beginning to master half-keys. So I didn't make it in. At the showcase on Wednesday you could tell I was really sad about it--- I don't even think I looked at the stage until they were done performing. But yesterday, I was super excited for them--- toward the end of the song I was moshing for them and got rather dizzy. But I had to support them for many reasons.
1. For not making the cut, I wanted to show them that I still was gonna support them all the way and cheer them on. Moshing was a way to show that they were doing a great job and I was proud of them-- super proud.
2. And then also for not making the cut, I wanted to prove to them that I should have.
Well, I succeeded at both *smiles*.
Come the celebration service, I had picked up habits in the shortest amount of time possible--- bring out the Guiness book of world records. I was bitning my nails, shaking my knee, pulling on my hair--- I KNEW I wasn't gonna go to Nationals. And when I saw that my human video didn't make it, I was positive I wasn't going. Goodbye, Louisville, the city I may never see.
When they announce who's going to Nationals, they slowly show the names like ending credits of a movie--- it's quite annoying.
Female vocal solo, Jr.
I was freaking out. I knew I didn't make it--- I just knew it. After about three names the list stopped. "Hope, it's alright---" Faith started, and then... and then...
HOPE EZELL
BETHEL CHRISTIAN
DAYTON, OHIO
My entire church's section jumped screaming. Me? I made Nationals? Who am I kidding, I am only in the eighth grade. I am only thirteen. But no, I really made it. Two years in a row I've made it to Nationals. Which really it had to be this year because it's gonna be really hard on me next year when I compete against high school seniors and beautiful sopranos and booming altos. Yeah. Scary thought. Next year I'm in high school. But now, I think I'm ready to go against them.
And now, I think I know my calling. I have been putitng this off FOREVER--- I was supposed to join the youth worship team last May, you see, but that didn't work. But I need to. They need another guitarist because even though Chris and Sarah can play, they both have other instruments they wanna stick to. They don't really need another vocalist, but if they want one, alright. They would probably find it cool if they had a violinist--- my inspiration to get better at it. They need another drummer, but sorry, I can't--- you don't want me on the drums. You don't.
And then I want to join a folk band. But most of all, I wanna be that college girl sitting on the curb downtown, playing her guitar, rocking the violin, and singing requested songs. It's a win-win, get some money to pay for eating and fun stuff while using the money from a real job to pay for tuition and housing and books. But I'd love to live like that. Just me and my music... until one day some agent comes from Capitol Records or Mono Vs Stereo and is like,
"Oh look at you, you lucky girl! We want you to be signed to us!"
Yes, I love Capitol Records--- Relient K used to be signed to them, Coldplay currently is signed to them. But Mono Vs Stereo--- my, Deas Vail is signed to them! You really kinda can't say no.
So what is Fine Arts? A mission to discover, develop, and deploy your talents. Nationals should not be the only time you "Deploy" your talents. Go out to all the Nations, show them what you're made of. Sing in church, give sermons when allowed, do a dance to a worship song (Baileigh used "Beautiful Things" by Gungor) at a recital, write a poem about being relentless after the one. Write a worship song. Write a drama for the youth group. You can do anything. ANYTHING.
"I'll go, I'll show the power of Your love! The world will know the power of Your love!..."I'll show the power of Your love...
-"Power of Your Love" by WORTH DYING FOR, our church's small human video ensemble used the song following "Faithful" and "Such Beauty" by Ian McIntosh.
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