Carols in the cafe: Downtown music event gives students a taste of performance

Students of John Cook, band director at Century Middle School and Park Rapids Area High School, had an opportunity to experience public performance in solos and small ensembles Sunday, Dec. 12 at Bella Caffé.

A combined crowd of fellow music students, family members and coffee-house patrons lent an ear to duets, trios, quartets and more, mostly arrangements of Christmas carols and other holiday-themed pieces.

Later in the program, school choir director Lucas Ford and a group of singers led the crowd in belting out several Christmas carols, before the high school jazz band wrapped things up in the cafe’s back room with a set blending holiday tunes and jazz standards.

Cook gave Julie Simmons with the Park Rapids PTA credit for organizing the event.

“It was our first time,” she said. “We’re trying a holiday music and books event.”

In addition to the kids’ musical performances, middle school kids experienced a “Nutcracker” book reading at a local bookstore.

“For us, it’s an opportunity for some of our more advanced musicians to have some other performance opportunities, get them out in front of the community,” said Cook. “Build some community-school connections. Get people downtown to shop in the Christmas season. And then, get kids out for books, storytime and hot cocoa. Just a fun, community event.”

Cook said any time the kids get to perform is good for them. “They get more confident and more prepared for the next time,” he said. “It’ll be good for them musically, and it’ll be good for their grade, too.”

“I’ve wanted to do an event like this for as long as I’ve been here,” he said, adding that the hard part is “getting off the dime to make it happen. So, I’m happy that Julie put this together.”

“We’re hoping this will be an annual tradition,” said Simmons.

1/7: Saxophone soloist Nolan Eckmann's rendition of Schubert's "Ave Maria" tugs at the audience's heart strings while Linda Szuzitsky provides accompaniment Dec. 12, 2021 at Bella Caffé. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise.

2/7: Trombonists Audrey Goehring and Anika Kietzman play a duet version of "Oh, come, all ye faithful" for patrons, fellow music students and family members during the holiday recital Dec. 12, 2021 at Bella Caffé. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise

3/7: The Trygstad family trio of Lily on saxophone, Harmony on clarinet and Levi on trombone play the carol "Oh, come, all ye faithful" Dec. 12, 2021 at Bella Caffé in downtown Park Rapids. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise

4/7: The crowd sings Christmas carols Dec. 12, 2021 at Bella Caffé during a program of holiday music by members of the Century Middle School and Park Rapids Area High School bands. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise

5/7: Flute players Olivia Budzien and Makia Eischens perform the carol "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" during the cafe recital Dec. 12, 2021 in downtown Park Rapids. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise

6/7: Jarrett Galzki shows considerable talent on the piano during the exhibition of middle school and high school band members' musicianship Dec. 12, 2021 in downtown Park Rapids. Galzki's pieces included "Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel" and "Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy" from the Nutcracker. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise

7/7: The high school jazz band plays a combination of Christmas tunes and jazz standards Dec. 12, 2021 in the back room at Bella Caffé. Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise