My Thoughts About NQC 2006

I attended my 4th National Quartet Convention this year. I attended NQC the first time back in 1995 and again in 1996. Then I got married, had a kid and did not go back until 2003. Other things took priority in my life the last couple of years and I finally made a way to go this year. So how was it? I’m so glad you asked!

Over all, it was great. I never did get to actually see any of the evening shows live. But I did catch bits and pieces of it on TV screens throughout the exhibition hall. Young Harmony had a wonderful idea of setting up a big screen, some couches and chairs, a couple of foot massagers, and I tell ya…it was one of the most popular booths there! I never got the chance to use the foot massager, but the people I did see use it, sure looked happy!

The exhibit hall was a monster all by itself. My assessment was the hall wasn’t quite as busy as I had noticed it in years past. I think that mostly had to do with the long walk from the arena. Another thing was it was so easy to get lost and turned around. I did not like the layout of the exhibition hall at all. Also, there were quite a few empty booths as well and I noticed a lot of booths were elaborately decorated like in the past either. On top of the long walk to the exhibition hall, you also had to walk all the way through the exhibits to get to the food court. Now, I know that is the way it was in the old exhibit hall, but they could have put the food court at the other end to help the older folks since there already a long walk involved. By the time you got the food court, you’d forgotten what you came there for!

But beyond that, I had a blast. I took in some showcases and was able to see and hear some great music and receive a great spiritual blessing by such artists as the Dills, Jonathan White, the Imperials, the Shepherds, Karen Peck & New River, as well as the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. I even got to meet Lari Goss, which was absolutely the highlight of NQC for me. I got to sit and talk with him for about 45 minutes, and it was such a highlight. I was so in the clouds, I forgot to get my camera out and get a picture of the two of us. Oh well…at 34 years old, my mind isn’t what it used to be!

I had a blast sitting and visiting with such people as the Dills (you guys are a riot!), the Imperials (when is that CD coming out?), McCray Dove and David Hester of the Dove Brothers, Scott Robinson of Eighth Day, Karen Harding, Kenny Bishop, Dean Adkins, Gayla Fooks, Joan and Cecil Long (you probably don’t know them, but they are some of the most precious people you’d ever meet), Jonathan White, Daryl Williams, Kyla Rowland, Josh Garner (Florida Boys), Larry Ferguson, Heather and Kaye Richards of Southern Gospel Impact, as well as all the Unthanks and so many others. As my wife says, I am in my element right there in the exhibition hall. I came home with a TON of music. At this point, it is almost 2 weeks since I came home, and I am not even halfway through the music yet. I will say that the prize find for me was a DVD of the Happy Goodman Family in concert in Arlington, Texas from 1974. As soon as I got home and put my bags down, I immediately went to the DVD player and put it in and watched every minute of it. In my eyes, that DVD is a priceless treasure.

All in all, the 2006 NQC was a great for me. The icing on the cake though was SoGospelNews winning the SG Impact award during the Diamond Awards on Friday. I know that was a proud moment for them and I am proud to be a part of a winning team. Not sure at this point when I will be back to NQC…got lots of things to squeeze into the next couple years, but I guarantee I’ll be back and as always, expecting a great time!