Gleeful
Well I didn’t get to watch the preview pilot episode of Glee until after I got back from my friend Aaron’s birthday at the Napa Rose Restaurant at Disneyland. I had dessert with Aaron, his roommate Davey and his boyfriend Xander. I had the Almond Cake with Strawberries.
Well I was going to head back to the office but decided to go home and go in early instead.
I rushed home and pulled up my TiVo menu and hit play for Glee. I was on the edge of my seat! Well the episode started and to be honest, as much as I liked it (I really did) it felt rushed and for the publicists, they released too much footage ahead of the episode that it felt like I had already seen all the good parts. The hour went by fast and memories of my own high school experience started to surface.
Thanks to American Idol, my TiVo clipped off the last 2 minutes of the episode.
The final scene of the episode is where Finn comes to the group and tells them that being in Glee club is something he was committed to. He was happy. The group had a hard time finding themselves. Finn had an idea. He knew what song to sing. He put Mercedes in charge of costumes, Artie was tasked in asking the Jazz band to play backup. The episode ends with this rag-tag group rehearsing to Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey. They start and for some strange reason I have tears in my eyes. Yes, I’m a push over, but they were real tears. A jock (Finn) coming to terms that it’s ok not to be part of the popular crowd and that being part of something special is what makes him special. The group comes together and brings a departing teacher back in. I didn’t get to see the end of the episode, so I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to write the rest of this entry.
High school was a very trying time for me. I was changing, my relationship with my family was changing and it was a catalyst for where I am today. Music was and still is a very important part of my life. I wasn’t in the “glee” club or in musical theatre. I was in orchestra, marching band, jazz band, wind ensemble and was a technical guy for the theatre department. I had a bond with my music teachers that transcended any relationship I have ever had until much later in my life. My music teachers saw a potential in me that no one else saw. They stood behind me no matter what and helped push me to my full potential. I can honestly say that without having that influence, I would be a different person today.
I’m grateful to them forever for seeing more in me than I did…
Part of the magic that creator/producer Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck) brings to the table is that these kids really do sing and record the music. They held auditions across the country looking for the kids that we would be able to identify with. Finn the Jock, Rachel the over achiever, Mercedes the Diva, Artie and his wheelchair, Tina the rebel who “kissed a girl” and then we have Kurt, our gay dude (he cracks me up). A group of misfits who find a place for themselves.
