Why live music matters

Amy Guthrie

My son, James, has begun learning to play the guitar for the last several months. But as I watched James during the French Family Band concert last Saturday night, he had stars in his eyes. He was especially drawn to Sonny, the 19-year-old guitar phenom. In addition to Sonny’s guitar playing, his low Australian-accented voice, rang out on selections like Buck Owens’ “Made in Japan.” James came home from the concert and told me “it was time to get a guitar like that.” I guess we’ll be looking for electric guitars soon.

That inspiration was just one small part of an unforgettable evening. The French Family Band stopped in Trenton as the second concert of 25 stops in their Spring Tour. Though their family name is French, they actually hail from the down under. Stuie, born in Australia, and Camille, heralding from New Zealand and of Māori descent, shared their “down under” accent with our Missouri audience. Along with their 19-year old son, Sonny, they entertained with songs we knew and loved, like a beautiful arrangement of “The Ring of Fire” that Sarah Maloney texted me after the show to call it “gorgeous.”

It wasn’t just our local community who showed up to enjoy the night. Several out-of-towners attended the concert, with people driving in from Kansas City, St. Joseph, Princeton, Braymer, Savannah, Miami, and Hannibal. Perhaps they saw our Art’s Alive advertisements. Or perhaps they saw the Tour announcement directly from the French Family Band and chose to attend. Several of the attendees might have even been among the 200,000 social media followers of the band.

From the audience to the merchandise table, the excitement continued throughout the evening. My family sat behind Betty Cox, who videoed several selections over the course of the event on her smartphone. After the concert, she spent several minutes at the merchandise table, along with many of the concert-goers who were eager to buy kangaroo-adorned French Family band t-shirts and copies of their albums.

Of course, the heart of the night was the music itself. In addition to the many well-known and well-loved songs the French Family played over the concert, they shared several of their original tunes. Their song “Wanda” about a cruise-traveling 80-something-year-old friend and her “toy-boy” was especially funny. Also notable was the newest song, called “When Guitars Come Out to Play.” Parents Camille and Stuie tried to remind Sonny that nothing good happens after midnight. Sonny, in a laugh, discounted their claims, noting that guitars are especially fun after midnight.

The musicianship throughout the night left a strong impression on many in attendance. Our friend, Levi Oneal, who is a wonderful guitarist in his own right, said he was nearly in tears from the guitar work of Sonny and Stuie. They traded guitar riffs on and off all night, sometimes trying to out-do one another, but most often complementing each other’s sounds.

Yet beyond the talent and the laughter, one moment stood apart. The most meaningful moment of the night, for me, happened after the concert was over. One of my students, Hulita, is an NCMC student from Tonga who was able to attend the concert for free because of the NCMC sponsorship of the Art’s Alive season. As we talked at the end of the show, Hulita described how she had been especially touched by the classic Māori love song that Camille sang towards the end of the show: “Pokarekare Ana.” The song was one that her mother had sung to her as a child. The song reminded her of her childhood and her mother’s voice. I watched as Hulita and Camille hugged after the show, both remembering their mothers and the heritage that has shaped them, even though they are now travelling and living on the other side of the globe.

Moments like that are why live music matters.

For those of you who weren’t able to attend, the videos of the event didn’t do it justice. The band was great. The crowd was enthusiastic. As the last song of the night ended, the audience immediately hopped to their feet for a standing ovation.

Thanks, of course, to Art’s Alive sponsors who have made our season possible. Without you, we would not be able to provide this caliber of musicianship.

And as we close out this season, we invite you to join us one more time. The next concert (and last concert of the 2025-2026 season) is Winsome & Friends: 7pm Tuesday, March 17th at the Trenton Performing Arts Center. The band features Jane Cotton, Levi Oneal, Luanne Oneal, and Sonja Wimer. Joining as “Friends” are Joe MacDonald, Robert Wimer, and me (Amy Guthrie). This St. Patrick’s Day concert will feature many Irish tunes along with other sing-along classics that you know and love. This is your personal invitation to come and hear. Be part of a community that supports the arts.