Some people may be thinking Coachella, or maybe jazz, but I mean kids playing practiced pieces on a grand piano in front of adjudicators. Piano festival was hard for me as a kid. I never felt quite as polished as I should’ve been, and I never ever got a piece perfect. But such was life, and I did it anyway. It was a good exercise of bravery. I have no bad feelings.
When talk of festival began this year, I decided that my two piano players should join in. One – Laela – loves to perform. And the other – Solomon – has some pretty decent anxiety, and I knew it would be something that would really challenge him. So their teacher signed them up for a duet together, as well as a solo piece each. Specifically in “first year of instruction” groups.
A fun development is that, with a change in medication, Solly has virtually no anxiety. Like. None. Its SO incredible! So as the date for his pieces crept up, both kids were excitedly anticipating them!
Duet day was Sunday. I didn’t attend, but I heard the mournful tale of the kids getting stuck on the last two lines, rallying, finishing strong, and Solly crying crocodile tears as he walked off the stage 💔 The adjudicator was SO kind and gentle in their comments, and they walked out with an A-. Both kids were elated that they had come out so well!
So both of them were completely unphased and ready for action when the next slot came up. That was this morning. The kids left for school, Rae come to my house to be with the babies, and I took the two to the church for 9:00am.
A couple of small groups would play their pieces, with the adjudicators writing notes in between, and then they called all the kids up to have their comments read and explained, and then they were done, and the next couple of groups would begin.
Laela was only in a group of two. Both girls played really beautiful pieces very, very well. They were both really well practiced. In the end, Laela took second place at 85%, with the other girl surpassing her by only 1%. This was a great result! Laela was thrilled to get a certificate.
Solly played in a group of three boys. His song was a perfect pairing for him because it was full of bouncy staccato notes. He played his song better than I’ve ever heard him play it. At the very end, he seemed to lose interest and he stared off into space for a moment 😅 but somehow he did not miss a beat! His bow was intentional and stinking adorable. And lo and behold, he took first in his group of boys with an 88%! I saw virtually no reaction until he turned around to come back to his seat, and he was wide eyed. Completely beside himself!
This event was a total success for our family. A confidence boost for both kids in their first year learning a new skill! Thank you, Val, for being SO good to our kids, and encouraging them the way you did before they hit the stage 💜 You facilitated a beautiful memory today.