If It Ain't Baroque...

 Saturday was flute Federation, which sounds ominous...and is.  This was the alternate day, because Golda had a conflict on the regular day, so it was more low-key than usual, but the nerves were still there.  Golda was worried about the memorization, and had worked hard to get it solid.  She sounded beautiful warming up.  In the actual performance, and I couldn't tell at all, she says she skipped a measure because she got lost.  The pianist didn't bat an eye and the whole piece came off seeming flawless to the untrained ear.  The second piece was great too, and Golda ended up with a Superior rating, 5 out of 5.  Even with the perfect score, Golda was annoyed at her own performance.  I talked to the pianist after and said, "Golda says she got lost."  Colleen said, "She did!"  I said, "You both covered it perfectly!"  A woman of few words, apparently, Colleen said, "We did!"  She was as unflappable in performance as she was in conversation, thank goodness!  At last, I convinced Golda that the "5" in her hand was all that mattered, it was what her goal was, and any performance flaws she had had were water under the bridge.

 On the way home, we stopped at In-N-Out.  This girl deserved something greasy and delicious!

 Next up, Xanthe and Freestone's recital.  We were lucky this time and chose the same recital date as both the Scheullers and Jeff's family.  (Janet has a lot of students and thus, a lot of recital dates to choose from.)  Freestone and Henry were pretty well-behaved sitting next to each other.  (Right, Sarah??  I hope...)

 Janet put Xanthe first on the program, so she didn't have any time to get nervous.  She is doing so well practicing by herself every day.  I am proud of her and her willingness to put in the time.  She truly enjoys it, and has a good ear.  And look how adorable she is sitting at the piano!

Freestone...is another story.  When it was his turn, he was distracted, looking around, totally disconnected from what was going on under his fingers.  He was probably watching his cousins playing their video games in the audience, and wishing he was sitting there with them instead of standing on that dumb stage playing...what was it again?  Oh yeah, that piece by...who?  Yeah, completely disinterested.  But he had the piece in his system enough from all the practicing, that he got from the beginning to the end, if just barely.

But I believe in two things here:  One, that music is food for the brain, and two, that children should suffer a little bit.  Practicing is going to be hard.  Duh!  That's half the reason to do it:  to develop discipline.  So, even though Freestone glares at me with his steaming, glinting snake eyes after every performance, and often during practicing, he is not quitting.  If there is a third reason for our kids playing an instrument, it is that the parenting choices you make determine how you will spend your time, and I love music.  I love the practicing and the performances, the anguish and the tears, the relief of a good performance, the accomplishment of finishing a piece.  I love sitting in a recital hall.  I love all of it.  If our kids didn't do music, they would do something else, and then I might be somewhere else on a Saturday afternoon.  Somewhere that isn't my world.  And I like my world.  I want all the people I love to be there with me, especially my kids!

 Jeff and Richelle and their boys were at the recital, and Grandpa and Grandma.  Our nephew, Tanner, did a great job.  It's fun to see that side of him.

 Ellison, Henry and Josh were so good on the piano!  I love hearing them play.  Have I used the word "love" enough today?  I also loved the kids running around afterward in their fancy clothes, having done something slightly worthwhile and somewhat stressful.  And I loved talking with friends and family afterward.  I love that we got this photo of us and Mike and Sarah.  Just then, we were talking about a classmate of ours who had suddenly passed away.  All these small moments, all these Saturday afternoon recitals, games, practices, classes, drives, whatever it is...we are just fortunate to be experiencing them.  So I say, choose where you want to be, and then BE there, and love the heck out of it!