The second day of the contest was even more incredible than the first! It seems every band got better. We heard some of the most awesome a cappella singing ever.
Charlie & the Girls played 5th on Sunday. The Pickin' Chicks played 19th. Both groups played very well and I cannot imagine them doing any better than they did. That was truly my prayer for both groups. Charlie & the Girls did an awesome job singing Daniel Prayed and Think of What You've Done. Rosemary has an incredibly high and powerful voice, and she certainly showed that off on Sunday! The Pickin' Chicks received a standing ovation after their performance.
In the end, neither band placed in the top 5. They are both number one in my book and I am so proud of them! I will be posting videos later when I get them from the families. I have already posted pictures that I took with my iPhone on our Facebook page.
I have many people to thank for making this event more enjoyable and/or simply possible! First of all, the judges have an incredibly difficult task to try to pick out the top 5 bands in this competition. I have judged many a contest, and unless you've done this, you don't know how hard it is. Sitting in your seat and taking notes is VERY different than actually doing it. I wish every single competitor would have a chance to judge at some point so that they would understand what this entails. I'm not saying I always agree with the results, but once you've judged several events, you certainly understand everything better!
Next, I'd like to thank our many friends for coming along with us! Scott drove all the way from Kansas City, MO, Larry & his wife from Effingham, IL, Dennis & Elizabeth from Waterloo, IL, Ron & Lorraine from Collinsville, IL, and then all the family members and extended family of the bands.
Ron & Lorraine allowed us to use their professional bass cart to roll the bass from one end of the park to the other. What a lifesaver! It makes the bass feel like it weighs a few ounces. Those hills in Silver Dollar City are hard enough to walk up and down without having to lug an instrument that is larger than yourself! On top of that, they also chauffered us around Branson and treated us to dinner.
All of the folks at Silver Dollar City were so friendly and helpful. Mike Smith, the DJ from KSMU radio station, did a great job announcing. D.A. Calloway really has his act together, and as the man in charge, he put on a great event! I cannot remember the name of the guy that adjusted the microphone, but he was there for each band and he talked to us backstage and was very nice.
Rodney got us all maps, hotel information, and all kinds of brochures from Branson so we could plan ahead. He even met with us in person beforehand to share all his SDC knowledge.
Larry allowed us to use his $10 SDC tickets for my dad, but in the end, we weren't able to use them. My 84-year old dad had to go to the hospital instead... He is home now and is okay. I want to thank Larry for dropping the tickets off at our hotel for us. We got the call from my dad about 30 minutes later!
We stayed at the Comfort Inn Thousand Hills, and they allowed us to use their conference room to practice. That worked out nicely and we are certainly thankful to them. All the employees that heard the girls practicing remembered to ask how the girls did in the competition.
There were many other people that came up to me and to the band members themselves and were very encouraging. We certainly thank you!
Whenever I start posting thank-yous like this, I always worry that I have left someone out. If I have, please let me know so I can acknowledge you!
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