spring piano recital: 2016

today the boys played in their spring recital! 


after months of practicing, they finally had a chance to perform in front
of an audience other than their parents. both boys did well and felt good
about their performance.

here is finn oliver (age 12) performing The Tango Dramatico by catherine rollin.
he has come a long way in 5 years.

though finn's piece was more dramatic, scout's piece was actually the tougher
piece for his skill level. when i tried playing the sheet music scout was given,
i could hardly believe it.  it was full of sharps and flats and tough reaches for
an 8 year old kid who's only been playing for 2.5 years. 


he by far had the biggest challenge this time around.  his teacher, mr. patrick,
acknowledged this publicly at the end of the recital when he gave scout a
little certificate for his dedication and perseverance.  no  matter what challenge
is thrown at this kid, scout gives it his all.


i'm one proud momma!

here is scout benjamin (age 8) performing Valse Semplice by dennis alexander.

boys piano recital: 2015

the boys were anxiously anticipating their fall recital,
as it was intended to be a spring recital and got postponed
after their teacher, was pulled into a local show
{he plays the piano and is an orchestral conductor for a number
of theaters throughout san diego}. 

since the music studio is super tiny, i offered up our home
again as our home has space to host about 20 comfortably in our
living room.

we rented white chairs, dusted my 20+ year old piano off and
watched 13 kids play their recital pieces and a few of
the students even sang which added a whole level of fun.
the oldest of the vocalists was about 16 and she sang adelaide's lament from
guys and dolls. 

she was wonderfully talented.  she had the vocal range and even got
into character when she performed. c grinned at me from across the
room as he knows the song well and that the music carries fond memories for me.

the boys performed two pieces. i'm sharing just the one for each boy here on my
blog as the songs are pretty long.  they played very well and thoroughly
enjoyed themselves.  here's my little, at 8 years old, performing in his 2nd recital:

and next up was finn, our 11 year old.
i believe this is was his 5th recital. 

~ the same evening, after the boys were in bed, i picked up the sheet music to
finn's piece, and found myself struggling a bit with the timing.
his music is getting more complicated every year and i'm guessing in two years,
we will be at the same skill level. it's so exciting!

piano recital, spring 2014

recital day finally arrived and the boys were giddy with excitement

this year was super easy for us as we hosted the recital in our home.

c picked up 30 white folding chairs, the couch was turned 180 degrees
to face the piano in stead of the tv, and auntie jen helped with putting
the light snack foods into pretty bowls and platters.

scout was especially excited {and a little nervous} as this was his FIRST

piano recital ever! he's been playing for just under 9 months and doing quite well.
here is our sweet 6 year old playing pedal happy composed by kevin and julia olson

because scout's song required him to use the damper pedal,
he had to stand up to play his piece because he couldn't reach sitting down.

and here is finn, our big 10 year old playing ogg, the caveman 
composed by edwin mclean. 

i realized as finn was playing, he forgot to put his shoes on. *grin* 

and as a surprise, their teacher, mr. patrick, played beethoven's moonlight sonata.

watching him play was inspiring - a really nice touch and way to close the recital.

.

we had a wonderful morning and c and i are so proud of the boys.
all their practicing paid off -they knew their songs by heart and were polished.

i know practicing the piano can sometimes feel like a chore to the boys,

but when i see them sit down on their own to play it for pure enjoyment,
ahhh, it's a beautiful thing.

spring piano recital, may 2013

this week is flying by and before any more time passes,
i wanted to be do a short entry on finn's recent piano recital.

in october of this year, i think it will be 2 years since he started playing.
gosh, it seems like just yesterday he was learning what numbers his fingers
were and where middle c was.  now he knows what a sharp and flat are,
what forte and allegro means, and how to use the damper pedal
{now if only he could reach it better}

when asked about piano, finn will say he likes it,
but is always quick to share that it's not his passion.
i think he likes it because it's a creative outlet for him,
and it helps that there was something on nova science now
discussing research that shows how playing a musical instrument
helps with math. since finn wants to be a scientist, that was enough.

scoutie has been patiently waiting to start lessons and
we agreed he will start up this fall - just before he enters first grade.
he's ready.

patiently awaiting his turn

no major incidents to report this recital.
finn {and mom} remembered his sheet music,
i had my camera and phone charged and ready to go,
and i even arrived early.

i can't say the same for my other half.
he was playing street hockey with our canadian neighbor
and some guys {his new weekend thing}. he showed up 5 minutes
before finn played and didn't smell like a hockey player either. whew!
{i was worried he might not have time to go home and shower}

finn's first piano recital: 2011

today was a BIG day for finn oliver {and for me too}.
for the past 2.5 months, he has been taking piano lessons,
and today he performed in his first recital,
an annual christmas recital hosted by his teacher, nancie mclees.

for the past few weeks, i've been a bit concerned about his readiness.
he's only been playing since the first of october,
and we were gone for 2 of those weeks for our family vacation.
also, with him playing on another soccer team,
it was really hard to find time to practice mid-week.

since we committed to both of these activities as a family,
we worked hard to squeeze in 15 minutes of piano practice most evenings
{even if it was right before bedtime}.
for the last few days, finn has been at the piano practicing the two christmas songs
he was assigned from this book.  he also practiced the proper way to bow *grin*

so mid-morning today, auntie jen and the family watched finn perform (2) songs:
jingle bells and deck the halls which he actually sang to {his teacher's request}.
he did well and was so proud of himself.
and yes, his family was too.

the very best part for me was seeing him enjoying himself at the piano.
{he even came home and played his songs again}.
i said to c, he may never be mozart or even perform beyond an annual recital,
but my hope is he will continue to play for years to come, and always enjoy it.




~ morning scare: we changed vehicles at the last minute at
home and left finn's sheet music in the other car.
we noticed this when we were arriving at the recital,
and i experienced something close to what i imagine a panic attack
must feel like! his teacher said he probably knew the songs by heart,
and when i asked finn if he did, he responded "i think so".
he showed no signs of anxiety {he is his father's child in this way},
and for the most part, he did know his songs by heart. *whew*