SAA 2012 Conference Highs

You  know the conference was a success when you can't wait to get to the piano when it's over, and you can't wait for your students to walk in the door that week.

Congratulations to Aidan and Alec for their performances in the master classes at the conference.  I was very pleased that they got this great opportunity!  It can be tricky to take a lesson on a piece you have played for a long time, you already pretty much have your thoughts and vision of the piece.  But Fay Adams and Marina Obukovsky gave the boys some fresh ideas, and I thought both kids implemented them very well--listening carefully and being open--which I believe are the hallmarks of good Suzuki students.  I was proud of them.

My own presentation went fine.  There was a respectable amount of victims there and basically I tried to cram a 50 minute topic into 10 minutes, so there wasn't much hope for any inspirational public speaking finesse.  That's okay, I'm not trying to be something I'm not, I just had some ideas to share and I think I shared them.  If it sparks some thinking and discussion about the value of friendships and community within the studio, it will have been a success.

The value of friendship and community was manifested in my visit with Vicki, my friend from Texas.  Having someone to share the conference with and talk over the ideas from all the sessions and masterclasses was so much fun.  Vicki stayed with me, and I confess that I was a lousy hostess.  She pretty much had to fend for herself in my fridge, but I hope she survived!  You know you have a good friend when she pretends not to see the cat throw-up in the hall and gets her own hard-boiled egg and fruit from the fridge while you freak-out reprinting your session handout because you put "SSA" in the title instead of "SAA."  Speaking of friendship and community, Doris Harrel, we missed you. Very much.  I hope everyone will share their own highlights with you on the phone soon.  It wasn't the same without you!

There were two favorite things for me--the first was watching Ann Schein perform, teach and lecture.  I could have sat there and listened to her the whole weekend.  What a beautiful musician.  How much do we need this kind of inspiration?  A hero.  It's priceless.  Just being in the room with her raised us all to another level.  She was a student of Rubinstein.  I'll always remember the tone of her voice and her smile and of course her impromptu lecture performances that had us all in tears.

My second favorite thing was the Kaleidoscope Concert at Orchestra Hall friday night.  William McGlaughlin hosted this recital featuring the cream of the crop of our Suzuki students from around the country.  Every child that played was amazing, but I had the most fun watching Gavin George, the student of Mary Craig Powell.  This nine year old angel couldn't keep the smile off his face the whole weekend.  I loved just looking at him.  Of course this is a rare moment when a child can rattle off concert piano concertos at a professional level, but what got to me was his pure little heart.  When he grows up and does something amazing, I'm just gonna remember that little face in that very small tuxedo.

Thank you to Malgosia and Gail for organizing the piano sessions.  It was a very special weekend.

Wild Turkeys

Casey's dad passed away this morning.  As one of her friends texted--Casey you have been faithful, brave and kind through every trial.  We are all proud to be your friend.

As I drove the kids to school I saw three wild turkeys in the ditch.  I haven't seen any for a long time and I just think of it as a message from my dad to Casey, or as he called her Racy Casey, that everything is okay.

Life Would Be So Much Easier If. . .

. . . I wasn't trying to do so much.  If I didn't practice with the kids everyday.  If they weren't playing out in Colorado in June.  If Calvin wasn't trying to learn this seven mile long concerto.  If I wasn't giving this ten minute presentation, which I have spent 20 hours on. . . at the conference this weekend.

I sat at the piano at church at 7:30 Sunday morning, with my heart racing and palms sweating, for the rehearsal with choir and chamber orchestra and all I could think of was how much easier it would be to be at home in bed.

Then the music started.  I couldn't imagine having missed out on being a part of it.

At the moment, it's true, there is too much going on.  The plant sale delivery last week couldn't have been timed any worse.  Having the studio recital on the same day as the choral service did not help.

I had my meltdown.  Friday afternoon.  It had something to do with Bill wanting to get the oil changed in the Challenger.  It's just that I had twenty errands to run and a checklist a million miles long and performing service on a car with 37 miles on the odometer didn't seem like a priority to me.  He was an angel and stayed home and folded the laundry from ten days ago instead.

I'm not blundering through my life.  I put a lot of thought into the decisions I make.  I'm holding fast to the philosophy that in order to make any difference in the world, in order to grow and help my kids grow. . . there's gonna be some tough moments.  There's gonna be some weeks where we have to dig clean socks out from under a mountain of unfolded laundry.  Where the cats have to deal with a stinky litter box.  Where a few houseplants bite the dust.

Will I look back and say it was all too much?

I don't know.  But I hope it will be better than looking back and saying I always had my socks folded.  It would be a lot easier--just to fold the socks--that it.  It is a little tempting.  And it might suit my personality better.

I hope I will look back and say I couldn't imagine having missed out on being a part of it all. . . next time just not all in the same week.

Glimpses of Grace

My heart goes out to Casey, down in Houston.  She flew her dad there from Tucson and now he is in a hospice house.  Like a good daughter, she is driving back and forth to see him and stay every day and night, in between taking care of her own two boys.

God bless those hospice doctors and nurses.  God bless them.  They see it everyday but we only see it with the person we love.  They make it natural and sacred and dignified and peaceful.  They educate us about that which we never wanted to know.  That which we can't even speak.

You can see that her experience is hitting way too close to home.  I too, read the crappy little brochure. The last weeks of my Dad's life are etched into the very fabric of my being.  Every word.  Every gesture.  Every wink.  Every glimpse of grace.  Every tear and every tender moment.

I can't be there for her.  But I pray that all the right angels show up at just the right times, just like they did for my family. Angels to drive you home and angels to bring a sandwich and angels to just be there.   I pray that they have many glimpses of grace.

My mom and sister will hate me for it, but sometimes you have to go there.  Here is a link to my favorite hymn:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXVwHONoLjE.  An angel once gave it to me and I'm passing it on.

Spring Recital 2012

Congratulations to everyone upon our studio recital yesterday.  It is truly a privilege for me to work with you all .  I simply love to hear you all play.  You worked so hard and played with such love.

I'm presenting at the conference this weekend and I'm tweaking my presentation this week.  The title is "Creating Community in the Suzuki Studio."  Community within the studio isn't just a warm fuzzy idea.  We need each other.

What I really want to say it that it takes all of us working together to bring out our best.  Working with such a fine group of musicians and parents has helped me grow as a teacher and as a parent and a musician.

This journey of music study is a long and winding road that requires much patience and love and a little bit of humor on some days.  We can't do it alone.   A few cookies after the recital doesn't hurt either. . .

True, it isn't all about warm fuzzies, but I'm sure feeling them today, and I think that's okay.  I hope the students are enjoying a moment of pride in their accomplishments and the friends they are sharing them with.

I'm thankful for each and every family in my studio.  Congratulations to everyone!

The Dress

Got Mary the dress.  It came in the mail today.  It is for the honors recital in Colorado.

The bad news is it cost as much as my wedding dress.  The good news is I bought my dress off the rack on clearance at Dillards. . .so that's not saying too much. With any luck she'll be able to wear it for a few years.

It's important that she know that there is more than one special piano player living in this house.

Even if I have to pay her a buck for every perfect Melody for the next month.

P.S. in case you were wondering about the Butterfly dress--she loved it--but I thought it was too old on her.  (Read: 16 years old. . . )  So--we're keeping it but not for the recital.  These are the games we play.

Wishing You Were Here

Checking things off the list.  Choir practice.  Check. Black sharpie signs for all the plants at the sale tomorrow.  Check. In the heat of the moment it can sometimes be difficult to tell the fuchsia hanging basket from the mixed petunias.  I understand.  That's why I made signs.  Messy signs but signs nonetheless. $7,033.60 wholesale's worth of plants and dirt arrive at Deerwood tomorrow morning.  I'm not admitting what percentage of that number is my order.  

Mostly, I'm missing Bill this week.  We all have tricky weeks.  This is mine for the year.  I'm facing it with a happy heart, but I miss my partner.  We are a good team, but the weekly travel is wearing me down.  

I signed up to have kids.  I signed up to teach piano, I signed up for choir accompanist, I signed up for the Deerwood Plant Sale. . . but I don't remember signing up to have my husband gone every week.  Sometimes it's the wildcard you have to look out for.  I know Bill doesn't like it either.  

As Maggie would say, that's corporate America.  But I'm not accepting that.  I think there is a job out there that is creative and challenging and worthwhile, and here in Minnesota.  I'm just sending it out there.  

Hurry home Bill, we are fine, but we love you and when you love someone you miss them when they are gone.  

Plus, the kids need you to take them to the Deerwood Social and Basket Raffle Friday night.  Hot dogs and noise and little made in China trinkets.  I know I didn't sign up for that. . .