Songs from the Heart is the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus' annual fundraiser. I wrote a post in response to their outreach concert at Bemidji State University in March. I sent that post to their "tweeter" account and received an invitation from Jeff Heine, Executive Director, via direct message and an elaboration of the event details through e-mail. He asked me to make a video for the Fund-A-Need Appeal of the program after the silent and live auctions.



The event was fantastic. Being from the "up nort" I am a bit shy and intimidated by suits and fancy wine. I generally belong in the middle of the woods where there are fleas, ticks, and furry feces leftover from the wolves that eat them. Plus bears are cute. (Pun intended.)

I started getting comfortable when I ran into a guest holding a drink nearly toppling him and his drink he saved it all. I felt so bad and embarrassed! But it was nothing as people were bumping into each other all night and you just apologized, said pardon me, and moved on like it were no problem. All the manners I learned growing up, but were never used, were finally used at this event. Had I run into anyone else in a crowded event I would have been told to look out. Which I should of been doing in the first place, but when I saw someone else bump into another it was the same polite interchange. Sorry, pardon me, it's fine thanks.

Ahh! Hors d’oeuvres are amazing. There was so much food! I forget the names of most of them. (Frown face for memory.) Little crackers with mushrooms. Pita bread with veggies on it. Veggie wraps. And more!Yum!

Dr. Stan Hill, Artistic Director purchased beads for heads or tails for Patrick Connolly and I. Stan Hill, Jeff Heine, Paul Blom, all introduced themselves to me and digressed in short conversations. It was wonderful and glad I got to meet all of you behind the chorus! I hope to bounce into you all again! I would love to go to the Let's Hear it for the Boys and would encourage anyone to attend. I will be likely taking care of my awesome nephew who is now begging to ask the tough questions of the world. "What's this? Why?" I need to be there to answer!

Going into the evening I was really impressed by one thing in particular. Many of those attending were multi-taskers. Not to mean drinking whine while bidding on the live auction but holding multiple careers. Esera Tuaolo was a MN viking, holds a career as a cook, and has one of the best unexpected voices one could hear! He is also a published author of Alone in the Trenches.

Michael Lee was another impressive character. A spoken word artist working at Avenues for Homeless Youth. His performance receiving a standing ovation. (Nearly bringing me to tears!) The first time I was introduced to spoken word was in my creative writing class in high school. Then during Mocc I got to see El Guante talk about the approach to spoken word and writing political poetry in a workshop. Later that evening OUTlook went to see El Guante perform in full force! Now finally I got to see Michael Lee perform and was moved. Many of these characters are politically active, intellectually active, and are holding jobs.

A chorus member at my table was a vocal for the chorus as well as a psychiatrist. These statuses just blasts me out of the water and inspire me to pursue further into my own endeavors. I am so thankful for being able to attend.

Of course my video was shown and a paragraph from my blog post from March was read. My video played.

I would like to thank everyone who made this event possible and to all the donors. And I am grateful for all the great people I was able to meet! A special thanks to Patrick Connolly for traveling from Grand Rapids to Hutchinson to pick me up. He crashed at my place for the evening and headed up to work at 5:00 this morning.

Thanks so much again!

Pictures coming soon! =) Paul Nixdorf Photographer