Stairway to Stardom

What is Stairway to Stardom? Sponsored by Skip’s Music, a musical institution in Sacramento since the 1970’s, Stairway to Stardom is “an eight-week Summer music program for young, non-professional musicians. Each participating student is placed in a band of fellow student musicians with a professional music coach and given the opportunity to create, develop, and perform original music on a professional level. Each band is required to perform two original songs and one cover song for the final concert.”

In 2017 our grandson Colton (at the time just 11-years old, and an incredible drummer) was lucky enough to be part of this educational, inspirational, and fun experience, which culminated in a competition between the ten bands in an outdoor concert in the park. Colton’s band, The Dynamics, rocked the crowd with their two original pieces and a cover of “Go Ask Alice”, and ended up coming in 2nd place. I was so happy we were in Sacramento for this very special event. 

Mother-Daughter-Grandkids South Lake Tahoe Trip

One of the nicest events of Summer 2017 was the opportunity to spend a couple of days in South Lake Tahoe with my four daughters and all but one of the grandkids. (As luck would have it, Colton was at summer camp training for his performance in Stairway to Stardom, a musical event held later in the month.) It is so rare and difficult to get everyone in one place at the same time, and even though our trip was less than 48 hours, I treasured every minute of it. The pictures tell the story. Happy faces, sharing meals, playing on the beach, and contented exhaustion at the end of the day.

California Worldfest

When we lived in Sacramento, Dan and I loved attending the California Worldfest music festival held each July at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley. For four days you can enjoy live music on eight different stages, with musical talent drawn from across the globe. From Latin to Bluegrass, Scottish fiddles to Rock and Roll, Jazz to Gypsy, Folk to New Acoustic, Mariachi to Russian folk, Gospel to Celtic, Afro beats to Pop, there is bound to be something for everyone.

And while the diverse and talented line up of musicians is a definite draw, it is much more than that. Vendors, food, beverages, children’s programs, yoga, meditation, teen activities, workshops, games, and a parade are just some of the many things offered in this eclectic community that comes together for a few days each year. Festival goers can camp for part or all of the festival, or just come for the day. We have stayed in an RV for the entire event on a few occassions, and come just for the day when that’s all we could manage.

Proclaimed by the California Legislature as “California’s Most Beautiful Fairgrounds”, you couldn’t ask for a more lovely and serene setting for this event. Nestled among hundreds of tall pine trees, you can almost always find a shady spot to cool down in, even on the hottest summer day. In 2017 we were very happy to spend one day with Dan’s son and his family, listening to music, sharing a meal, and enjoying the vibe.