The Recital
Let me begin by saying that I don’t have the sound file edited yet. I could post what I’ve got, but it’s an 800 megabyte file and that would not go over so well.
The recital was the first time I’d met any of the other children. My illustrious instructor teaches at several schools around San Antonio and has about thirty students. As it turns out, several of them are very small people.
We gathered in the music room of the church, tuned our instruments, got our marching orders, and then proceeded into the parlor, which was equipped with a baby grand and several chairs for the extremely gracious audience.
We sat in a row in the front:
After Ms. Henry introduced the class, we all played Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star as a group. This is remarkably difficult when one’s hand is shaking so badly that one can barely grip one’s bow.
(I’m on the far right.)
After the first group bit, we each played a few solo pieces. I screwed up each and every one of mine. From here on out, my public performances can only get better. I’m looking forward to the next one.
After we’d each done our bit (including one little girl doing a duet with Ms. Henry of Pachabel’s Canon in D), those of us who knew the piece played Perpetual Motion, a cornerstone of the Suzuki program.
After all this, my dear father (who sat through the entire recital with a huge grin on his face) took me and Kelly out to dinner. We toasted learning and doing things that scare the poop out of you.
May 30th, 2003 at 2:24 pm
Oops! I meant NJ not NZ. That show my brainrot from living abroad!!!
May 30th, 2003 at 2:23 pm
Lisa in NZ,
That comment deserves some smiley faces!
May 30th, 2003 at 6:17 am
Great post on your public debut as a violinist! I’m happy for you. Today at my cello lesson, I intend to ask when *I* can play Twinkle Twinkle.
regards!
May 29th, 2003 at 11:09 am
Dave, I am soooo proud.
Gotta get Adam started – I bet you and he will be playing duets in a few years!
Love, Marnie
May 28th, 2003 at 2:03 pm
*grin*
It was a lot of fun. But man, do I have a lot of work to do.
Bess, you’re precisely right with the Suzuki quote. I’ve made a lot of progress since January, but it’s going to be a looong time before I can really play something worth listening to.
May 28th, 2003 at 8:32 am
Congratulations! I’m really impressed — knitting, violin playing, biking. You’re amazing!
May 28th, 2003 at 8:25 am
Great job — I don’t have the guts to play an mp3 in with an audience.
May 28th, 2003 at 5:56 am
You are cool beyond words. In a past life I was a violinist in an orchestra, where I met and married a flute playing fellow. My favorite quote from Suzuki is his answer when asked how much practice it took to become a violinist. “Three hours a day for 9 years … or 9 hours a day for three.”
May 28th, 2003 at 4:14 am
BRAVO!!!! You looked great up there David! It’s a great feeling accomplishing such a task, you did it with gusto!! Thanks for sharing, and I’m looking forward to the next!
May 27th, 2003 at 11:47 pm
Wow. JH’s students have such good bow holds. So impressive.
May 27th, 2003 at 10:50 pm
I don’t even know what to say, these are so cute. Way to go!
May 27th, 2003 at 9:30 pm
Congratulations on your debut! Next stop, Carnegie Hall.
May 27th, 2003 at 9:23 pm
Nice pictures. You look happy.