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As I consider the possible summer offerings for entertainment, I can’t help but notice they all have something in common: Music. Think about it: Wedding season brings cover bands, festivals like Cottonwood or Flatwater include music, and the Nebraska State Fair is coming up at the end of summer. Usually, sports gather a large following but it is interesting to see how music can draw such a crowd!

Growing up, I was involved in both sports and music so I know the camaraderie and excitement that went along with each activity. However, the power of music seemed to stick with me through successes, failures, and trying times. In college, I mostly ran with the music kids and ended up in an acapella singing group called 1-2-5. While singing in the group, I discovered a true passion of mine by accident – arranging music. I found out that I enjoy the ability to take an existing song and either mash it with another or flip it on its head completely (ex. a bluesy version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”). So, when I seek music as a means of entertainment, I tend to follow the aforementioned aspects of music that I love. As a result, this led us to all the way to Kansas City.

On the evening before New Year’s Eve, twelve friends and I made the trip to Kansas City for a Happy Hour party at Howl at the Moon, a piano bar. All of us experienced very tall drinks, many mash-ups and dueling pianos! This small group of maybe seven performers sang and played all the songs you could think of within a few hours. We were amazed by all of the mash-ups, remixes, and requests that they could play! This was truly a musical experience that I will not forget – and hope to enjoy again!

My point for this week is…even in a small town such as Hastings (or the tri-city area), there are opportunities to find entertainment through music, especially fitting specific genres. Find the summer festival that has music to your liking, find a band during the Nebraska State Fair, or even just listen to the radio. After all, the radio is how I came to find out about dueling pianos and even an opportunity that I can’t wait to share with you.

More on that later…

 

About the author: Josh Wooster

I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, where I attended Millard West High School. I chose Hastings College because it gave students personal attention, extracurricular options, and music ensembles better than those of other colleges in the state. I am currently the leader of 1-2-5, the men’s a-cappella singing ensemble, while also being a part of the Hastings College Choir and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the men’s music fraternity. Other commitments include being an intern for the Hastings Chamber of Commerce and membership in the Student Environmental Action Coalition and Society for Collegiate Journalists. “Free time” for me involves arranging music for 1-2-5, working at the Lochland Country Club, and searching for a job. I am a jovial spirit with a diligent attitude towards work, and a keen eye for detail. I hope to stick around Hastings after college to work and give back to the city and college that have offered me so much.