On Wednesday evening of the 2016 Music for All Summer Symposium our campers got to experience the electrifying energy of the powerhouse saxophonist/vocalist Mindi Abair! Mindi and The Boneshakers put on an amazing show that had everyone in attendance on their feet at one point or another.
Yamaha Performing Artist, Mindi Abair is certainly no stranger to the Music for All Summer Symposium. She experienced what a MFA audience was like in 2013 and decided to come back once again to Emens Auditorium at Ball State University. I had the privilege of seeing Mindi perform at the 2013 camp, and once again I was not disappointed!
The moment I walked into the auditorium I could feel the energy not only coming from Mindi and her band, but from the students who were up off their feet and simply enjoying the concert. It’s almost impossible for me to explain the feeling that I have while watching our campers, watch our evening concert performances. It was amazing to see them so engaged and just LOVING what was happening on stage in front of them. I think there is definitely something special about watching musicians experience an amazing concert.
While Mindi and The Boneshakers were amazing, I would have to say that my favorite part of the concert was when Mindi had three of our very own Jazz Band division campers come out on stage with her. Craig Jackson on alto, Malcolm Harris on alto, and Zane Piontek on tenor came out to perform on Mindi’s very popular chart “Lucy.”
It was a blast watching Mindi and her band interact with these students. You could tell that everyone on stage, including these three young musicians, were just having a blast jamming together. It certainly will be a night these campers won’t forget for a very long time!
