Child, Music is a vital part of who I am. My memories are steeped in concerts and recitals, practice times and rehearsals, clammy palms and shaky notes, exhilarating performances and spontaneous song. I can remember back to my very first solo; I was the Little Red Hen in our kindergarten musical. Clad in yellow tights, […]
Cooked Butter is Delicious
Dear Child of Mine, One thing you’ll learn quickly is your mom likes loves to bake cookies and concoct cakes and create candies. (At least I hope you’ll find this out relatively early in your life…but maybe not, because from what I hear raising kids takes a LOT of time. Baking may take a back burner. pun intended.) The […]
Piano Recital [Year 2]
Though I started teaching piano in September 2009, June 2012 was my very first piano recital as a teacher. I hosted a second recital at Christmastime at a local assisted living establishment. This year, I was excited to have 16 students performing in the recital (doubling my 8 from last year.) They all did a […]
The Preview of Beauty and the Beast
It’s show week again for the local high school’s spring musical. I can hardly believe it’s been an entire year since my first experience in the pit orchestra. (Last year was The Sound of Music, remember?) I was honored to be asked to participate as one of 4 adult instrumentalists in a 25 member orchestra. […]
The Start of My New School Year
It all began at 3:30 yesterday afternoon when 2nd grader, Zach, walked though my front door. Piano lessons are back in full swing now! Yesterday, five new students had their very first lessons with me and I love each of them already. I can tell this is going to be a fantastic year. And to think, […]
The One with 5 Minutes [Connect]
Today over at Lisa-Jo’s blog, the Five Minute Friday prompt is Connect. My mind went all sort of places before hitting the “start” button on my timer, but I’m so thankful I rested with this topic. It’s been resonanting with me all week, as I’ve received call after call, email after email, and welcomed in […]
The One with the Second First Piano Recital
In May 1995, with shaky hands and butterflies in my stomach, I played at my very first piano recital–a piece by John Thompson, Fairy’s Harp. (I know all of these details because my awesome mom saved every single one of my recital programs–all 15 of them–in a neatly organized file folder. Thanks, mom.) Seventeen years […]
The One with the Sound of Music
After 3 months of practicing, 30 hours of dress rehearsals, and 13 live-show hours The Sound of Music production weekend is over. And honestly, I’m kinda sad to see it go. The show was phenomenal! You would not believe the quality of student actors and musicians–tremendous! Being in the pit meant a front row seat to […]
The One with the View from the Pit
For the past 10 weeks, I have been hard at work learning the keyboard/synthesizer strings part of the full score to The Sound of Music. (Hence my absence this week–it’s show week, people. LOTS of rehearsals.) I was asked to be an adult member of the high school production’s pit orchestra, and it has been […]
The One with the Love for Piano
Piano has played a part in my life since that first piano lesson in 1995. My relationship with this instrument (and the inseparable component of music) has ebbed and flowed over the years. There were months (maybe years, even) when I didn’t want to practice, the music was too hard, and I never played well […]