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Save the Date! Kotrba Piano Studio Concerto Event!

This may be a random journalistic entry. . . so feel free to speed read. Things have been going along pretty smoothly here. We had a great parent party last weekend! The SPTG Advancing Recitals are tomorrow and there is an extra printer toner cartridge in my closet so I will sleep tonight. The K. 330 is memorized and waiting for recording. We’ve all been healthy and moving the ball down the field.

About ten days ago I declared the spring calendar closed. That’s it. No new obligations. Learn to say no to 90% of the opportunities that arise.

Fail. Tuesday, Mary auditioned for the children’s choir of the Eagan High School spring music production and as if they aren’t going to accept a warm body who sings in tune. . . bingo. . . EIGHTEEN “new events” on the calendar. It didn’t help that she can dance a little.

Wednesday Calvin texts from school (kids do that now) with an invitation to the middle school honor band festival. With evening concert of course.

Thursday the ballet teacher whom I love suggests a few private lessons to get Mary caught up with the older class. Saturday afternoons will work well for her. Sigh.

My personal assistant Sally will be handling the transportation to and from these valuable experiences. I wish. Sally is a fantasy who also changes the oil in the car every 3500 miles.

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Colorado Suzuki Institute Day 2

Colorado Suzuki Institute Day 2

Colorado Suzuki Institute Day 2

Day two we traded kids. Bill went with Calvin to his classes and I went with Mary. I wanted to practice with Mary on the day of her honors recital. She didn’t want to go through Vivace under tempo and she didn’t want to go through the practice routine of the scale work. But she did. And then burst into tears when she saw I had put the assignment from her lesson into the Spinning Song music in aqua colored pencil. Apparently I used the wrong color or something. We recovered from that and finished the practice. Stress leaks out in wacky places.

In the moments before she played, after all the slow practice and all the time we spend the last three months on this piece, when push came to shove, all I wanted was for her to be happy. For her to have a positive experience. For nine years old to be pure. I didn’t care if she rounded the phrase endings or exaggerated the dynamics. I just wanted Mary to be Mary.

And she was.

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Colorado Suzuki Institute Day 1

Colorado Suzuki Institute Day 1

Day One was a success.
No one threw up.
No one broke a wrist ice skating.
Everyone slept good.

The biggest question is. . . how am I supposed to edit my essay on the Suzuki Philosophy with Mark Bjork (father figure of Suzuki violin) announcing to all the parents that they are not to use any iPhone, iPad, or laptop during the children’s classes. Apparently we are supposed to be paying attention. . . or we will be paying fines to the scholarship fund.

The first two days were busy with technical rehearsals for the honors recital for both kids and trying out the piano on the Vilar stage and Mary rehearsing with the string quartet for Wednesday’s recital.

Calvin played last on the Tuesday honors recital. He said it was super fun. He got to play on the same stage as Allison Krauss, one of his favorite musicians.

If you are the grandparent or aunt of Calvin–you will enjoy this link to his performance of Mozart K. 331 third movement on youtube, kept private per CSI policy. Stay posted for more updates on the week.