« February 2012 « Arkansas-Louisiana Conference
A Little Bit of Heaven!
Ozark Adventist Academy holds annual music festival
Gentry, Ark. » Ozark Adventist Academy, home to many hardworking and spirit-filled teenagers, was the site of Ozark Music Festival 2011 for 5th-10th grade students, December 1-3. Approximately 200 students from Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma gathered together to share their talents and love for music with each other, the church, and the nearby community. The event culminated with a Christmas concert entitled "Heaven's Light," on Saturday evening at the Gentry church.
“It’s always a blast!” said Elenoa Moala, a junior at Ozark, of the annual event.
Leandro Bizama, music director at Ozark, directed the festival and was assisted by many dedicated volunteers. Participating students had only a few days to learn their songs and music pieces, and shortly after they arrived, students began to prepare for the Saturday-evening concert.
Two young ladies from Louisiana, Caroline and Maddie, stayed with me in my dorm room. It was great to be able to reconnect with them after having first met them at Camp Yorktown Bay this past summer. Maddie plays the violin superbly. She taught me how to play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” on the violin. Caroline is a pianist who also plays very well. Both girls enjoyed the weekend immensely and said that they look forward to attending Ozark someday.
After intense preparation, Saturday night finally arrived. The church was packed with people. The program started off with a moving orchestral arrangement, then, Ozark's touring choir, the Royal-Aires, sang two beautiful songs with the orchestra. Later, the students gathered on stage and sang with the Ozark orchestra and were joined by the academy's handbells, the Bell-Aires. The music was heavenly!
At the end of the program, anyone who wanted to join in singing with the choir could do so. A few men handed out song sheets, and approximately 300 people came on stage to sing “The Hallelujah Chorus,” by Handel. It was the perfect ending to an amazing weekend.
“Mr. Bizama does so much for our music and our school,” said Kaitlin Pasco, an Ozark junior. We would like to give a special thanks to Leandro Bizama, because this special weekend would not have happened without his dedication.
