Before I continue with the "how I ended up at Idyllwild" story that I began in my last entry, I wanted to update you. I just returned from another visit to Idyllwild (probably my last one before the school year starts!), where I met with the academic dean and guidance counselor, who answered some of my lingering questions. We also went to a jazz guitarist's senior recital, which was amazing. It's just so incredible to see what people my age are capable of!
One of the cool things about Idyllwild this time around was seeing how Casey Abrams' time on American Idol affected the town. Yes, if you have not heard, Casey Abrams, this year's unique jazz/bluegrass singer on Idol, is a native of Idyllwild. He grew up there and attended the school as a music major. His stunt on Idol significantly increased the tourism in Idyllwild, and I also heard that many more people submitted applications to Idyllwild this year. With Idyllwild more in the news than ever, it is certainly a fun time to have been admitted.
What I loved most was seeing how the entire town got behind Casey. It is truly a kind, nurturing, supportive town, and everyone in the town, even people who never watched American Idol, took the time to vote for him. Though Casey was eliminated last week, there were still many signs up around town, encouraging people to vote for Casey. Here is my personal favorite:
One of the restaurant in Idyllwild also went all out supporting Casey. Cafe Aroma is THE place to go to in Idyllwild, and both locals and tourists can frequently be found hanging out there. It has great food and such a warm atmosphere, and I would definitely recommend eating there. On every Monday at Cafe Aroma, live musicians are hired to play in the background. Since Casey and his group had played many times before Idol, Cafe Aroma felt even more compelled to show their support for Casey.
The following pictures were taken from Cafe Aroma.
Posters supporting Casey:
Pictures and articles from a Casey "shrine," located behind one of the larger tables, which depicted articles about Casey and illustrations of him:
Best of all, Cafe Aroma added a special dish in honor of Casey. The live musicians who perform on Mondays are allowed to order whatever they want after performing, even if it is not on the menu. Casey's preferred dish became the "Casey Abrams Gnocci Alfredo." Of course, when I saw it on the menu, I had to order it.
Cafe Aroma has fabulous gnocci and meatballs, so I very much enjoyed the special dish. Even if it had not been named for Casey, I would have been compelled to order it.
I promise my next entry will be about my Idyllwild audition. In the meantime, I hope your enjoyed the pictures in this post!
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