Patty McKinnon
Parent of Dustin McKinnon, Middle Level State Honors Choir Participant
Brussels, WI
This last weekend my eighth grade son, Dustin McKinnon, participated in the Middle Level State Honors choir, and I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much this meant. When Dustin first learned that he was invited to participate, he couldn’t believe it! Though the musical talent was there, it had been latent, so when he first began preparing his audition piece he was reticent to sing out loud, and quite unsure of himself. After being invited to participate in the WSMA Honors Project, I saw his confidence slowly grow and by the time the first days of August came around, he was most anxious for that envelope of music to arrive.
Because Dustin’s belief in himself had grown, when the opportunity to audition for the role of Gavroche in our high school musical Les Miserable, came about, he jumped on it, and got the role! Now we hear him singing out loud all of the time!
Though I know that any number of factors could have accounted for this, I can’t help but feel the Honors Choir was a key piece in his musical “blossoming.”
Thank you for all you do to make this project a reality, a reality that can make a significant difference to a young person like Dustin. What a THRILL to see all of those young musicians marching into the concert on Saturday, and to see my son among them! Needless to say, I’m still glowing!
I am so grateful for the WSMA and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.