A Taste Of Springfield, Missouri: A Musical Tour of the Midwest

     I recently visited my family, who live in the Midwest, and was pleasantly surprised with the events held by the community in Springfield, Missouri. I was particularly pleased with the Taste of SoMo (short for “Southwest Missouri”), where one could visit booths from local restaurants and taste different cuisines from around the world. While the food was absolutely wonderful, as a singer, I was especially impressed by the live music playing.

     It shouldn’t be a surprise that there is so much musical talent in Missouri.  Springfield is close to a town that many of you may know: Branson, Missouri. Branson is home to many great talents, and this talent trickles into nearby towns. The talent in Branson ranges from violinists to opera singers, budding new country musicians to well-known artists such as the late Andy Williams, classical musicians, professional gospel choirs, and even some wonderful musicals such as Joseph.

     I am happy to say that this talent has even made its way over to Encore Tours here on the East Coast. We have had the pleasure of working with some of the wonderful talent from Missouri, including the Rockhurst High School Choir of Kansas City, for whom we planned a performance tour of Italy. It is always a pleasure to plan tours for these groups— we want them to get out there and share their incredible music with the world!

     It was great being home to be reminded of the amazing talents that span beyond the East Coast. So the next time you are visiting the Midwest, don’t forget to visit the “Show Me State” for a wide variety of talented musicians!