Ballet West Spring Show

Everyone is wearing gingham these days! I felt left out, but not enough to go to a store. Then I found this in Araceli's closet! I wanted to look half-decent for my date with Scott (and like 10 of our kids) to Freestone's BW performance.

This was Tziporah after the show. She had a black eye from school and she'd been asleep for the whole second act. Poor kid!

The rest of us were alive and well! It is so exciting to watch Freestone onstage! He has been at BW for a year and a half now. It's incredible to see the progress, though not surprising, given how very driven he is. He has taken double classes all year with the goal of getting into the Professional Training Division, PTD. He got accepted for next year, which is pretty exciting! Mst of his friends are already PTDs, so he feels like the designation legitimizes him. Starting in September, he'll go to ballet from 1:30 to 6:45 every weekday and 10-3 on Saturdays. Unless there are rehearsals for a show or master classes, or YAGP. There's always something extra. Freestone is basically never home. This week, the week after the spring show, is his week off. I love having him around! The first day, he sais, "I can't live like this! There's nothing to do! It's only been ONE day?!" Granted, he is working at my store and has actually had some social life, but it's hard to come down from that intense schedule. He's usually at Ballet West from either 1;30 or 3:00 to either 6:45 or 8:15, and he's normally extremely punctual and likes to stay late. If he rides the bus or train, it take three times as long to get to and from, so we try to drive him, but he often rides public transportation.

Anyway...the spring show was so fun!!

Saturday morning, I relaxed with my boy for a few minutes before dropping him off at warm-up class on my way to Laura's funeral. He's a fun kid.

My gorgeous, glamorous parents at the Saturday matinee.

Mr. Jeff right before he pretended to hit Freestone on the head with his bouquet of flowers.

And Mr. Jeff pretending to be nice. Ha ha! Freestone worships Mr. Jeff. He is an icon. He and Mr. Nicolai are such colorful characters. Freestone has a lot of excellent teachers, but those two seem to conjure up the most stories. They're just very demanding. Of Nicolai, Freestone said, "He's a terrible teacher, really, but somehow, we all improve in his class and we have fun." He's not a terrible teacher, though, and Freestone knows it, but that's a perfect description. Scott and I watched his class. He grunts or waves his hand and everyone knows exactly what to do. His Ukrainian accent is thicker than the coffee he drinks with his cigarettes, but somehow all the students get him. He'll sashay over to a student during class and sneer something like, "Jonas did it better." And suddenly, that student has fixed whatever was wrong. A genius disguised as a "terrible teacher." 

After the last show, Scott and I took Freestone across the street to Squatter's. He ordered an apricot Hefeweisen. What a card! He got water.

And this was Freestone three years ago. It kills me! This is even before the stage that Mr. Jeff calls Freestone's "Little Porker" stage. So much has happened to that little mind and body!  And so many good things are in store.

Sol Gabetta Recital

 After dinner our first day in New York, we left the Lower East Side and went to Columbus Circle to take in the somewhat rarefied air of the Lincoln Center and Metropolitan Opera House.  We had tickets to a cello recital featuring the Argentine cellist Sol Gabetta, at 10 pm.  She played the Haydn D Major Concerto with the New York Philharmonic and 7:30, then played a full recital in the nearby Kaplan Loft at 10. Wow!!  Good thing she's young!

 Having taken the redeye, gotten off the plane at 6 am and walked 14 miles according to our pedometers, we were getting sleepy.  I think we might have dozed off sitting on a ledge across the street from Juilliard.  But as soon as it was time for the recital, we were reenergized.  There was the most adorable little old woman trying to get a ticket for the concert, and a little old man, too.  Like in their 90's.  I wondered if they were together.  I love the energy surrounding the arts in New York.  10 pm on a Wednesday night, and people are out, excited about a cello recital.  The venue was gorgeous, with floor to ceiling windows and views of Manhattan.  We were seated at tables, and somehow Scott and I had scored the best seats in the house.  We were at the closest table, 5 feet away from the soloist.  At our table was an Israeli doctor and his wife who have lived in New York for years.  He is also a semi-professional cellist.  And also, a young Indian woman and her aunt, both living in New York.  It was energizing to talk to them and find out their stories.

 I quickly snapped these pics for Araceli before turning off my phone.  I really wished she could have seen that incredible performance.  Both the cellist and the pianist put every ounce of everything they had into each and every note.  It was incredible.  There were two encores, and I think the audience would have been game for several more.  I know I would have been!  Any trace of fatigue I felt before was gone, replaced by the raw energy of a live performance.  We met up with two critics afterward and walked with one to the subway.  The guy who had "gone away" to college in The Bronx from Brooklyn.  Here is his blog.  How incredible to have access to all those world-class performances.

I think it's safe to say that we wrung the most out of our day in New York.  It was heaven to walk into our airbnb brownstone in Brooklyn and crawl into bed.  We may have been in the city that never sleeps, and we did our fair share to live up to that, but eventually, it's inevitable.

Winter Recital

 Since Golda began driving, I've been able to take on twice the number of violin students with all my free time!  So now I have ten students, 11 counting Ptolemy, and I love teaching them.  Friday was our first recital of Winter/Spring semester, and everyone played very well.  Half of the little kids, being brand-new students, played parts of Twinkle Variation A, Tocca Tocca Stop Stop, otherwise known as the bane of every Suzuki parent's existence.  We hear it a lot!  I actually don't mind it when Tocca Tocca gets stuck in my head for days on end.  I'm used to ignoring it.

Ptolemy played "The Bread" of the Twinkle variation, and it was perfect.  I was too busy to to get a video of him, and I'm so sad!  But between running the show, managing Tziporah (she brought luggage to unpack in front of everyone) and being Ptolemy's mom/teacher, I didn't know where my camera was when he started playing.  He's coming right along, with the incentive of buying a voodoo doll every day out of a machine at Dylan's.  Ptolemy is obsessive about these things, just like Freestone.  Whatever it takes. I say!

I love the connection I am able to develop with these wonderful families.  As a teacher, I have learned that you go into the student/parent/teacher relationship with unconditional love toward the parent and the student.  From there, everything flows.  I feel lucky to have these children and their families in my life.  Thanks, everyone.

Prestissimo Con Fuoco

It's ironic that the title of my last post was "Slowing Down the Tempo," because the first week of December is the most Prestisssimo Con Fuoco of any week of the year.  In the past eight days, we have had five recitals/performances, four parties, a basketball game, book club, Beethoven's Ninth, a Christmas devotional and a partridge in a pear tree.  On Friday, Scott and I combined drove over 300 miles, taking kids to lessons, performance and parties.  That's not crazy at all, right?

That said, all of this is what makes the Christmas season special, and I love it, so I don't want it to be hectic.  That takes a lot of planning, frequent deep breaths and just getting lucky with traffic.  The holidays really are a beautiful time of the year, but you don't feel it and see it unless you're out there, taking in the music, catching up with friends, admiring the lights and recognizing all the good things your neighbors and friends are doing for each other.  That's the true meaning for me, seeing God's love in action.

 Thoughtful Ruby got everything set up for me for book club while I was at a work dinner with Scott, gobbling up piles of mizythra cheese from the Old Spaghetti Factory.  I arrived at book club not too late.  With so many helpers, everything really can run like clockwork, and I snuggled in to discuss the book I Am Malala with my friends late into the night.

 This little elf!

 Freestone performed at the Festival of Trees with David County Ballroom. Here's half of his tango.

 My ballroom veteran friend Jacy did Freestone's hair and makeup and he looked extremely handsome!  Ptolemy, Tziporah and I did some kid crafts while we waited for Freestone's group to take the stage.  Tziporah was devastated when she saw the performers.  She turned to me, alarmed, and said, "Mom, you didn't even bwing any of my ballet clothes!"  She desperately wanted to be on that stage.  Ptolemy, not so much.  He didn't even want to pose as an elf.  With so many fun things to do, we didn't even look at any of the trees!  We had to go home and take Golda and some food and gifts to a Dance Company party in Farmington.  We also dropped Araceli off at the party so Scott could pick her up there for the symphony when he brought Ruby from guitar to the party.  (Yep, this was the 300-mile day.  It ran so smoothly.)

Scott and Araceli had a date night hearing Scott's favorite symphony, Beethoven's 9th.  Whenver we go to the symphony we take some kids, because they can get two student tickets each, for $10 apiece.  The Beethoven would have cost $63 per ticket.  So I stayed home and ate ALL of the chocolate Borther Steed brought to our family, and Araceli was introduced to Ode to Joy.  I tell you, with a whole box of See's chocolate, a book and a bunch of sleeping kids, I was singing my own Ode to Joy!

 Xanthe and Esmae decorated ornaments at Bowman's while I got some food for a party.  How lucky!

 Ruby serenaded Scott while he relaxed between recitals Saturday.  Can't have too much Christmas music!  Right Scott??

 Freestone played Humoresque by Dvorak,
 Xanthe played a Bartok Hungarian Folk Song 
and our 13-year-old played...Lightly Row.  ( forgot to record until the end)  She was embarrassed by playing such a baby song, but keep in mind, this is three lessons in.  It was perfect, fortunately.  My friend Julie Laub, whose daughters are accomplished pianists, gave Araceli a hug afterwards and told her how proud she was that Ari would have the courage to play such an easy piece, when she is already so advanced on cello.  Julie, as usual, said the perfect things, and with such kindness.

Freestone worked hard to memorize Humoresque, but he ended up taking the wrong ending a couple of times.  I said to him, "I loved how you just kept on going when you took the wrong ending.  Nobody would have even known!"

He said, "I did?!"

Including you, evidently, Freestone.  So he's not cool under pressure.  He's just oblivious.  That's just as good.  He played very well, and so did Xanthe.  Janet usually lets Xanthe go first so she doesn't get nervous.  She has come such a long way, and hardly even worries about getting up there.  Piano is so good for her.

 Saturday night, Golda had a date to see the lights at Temple Square.  Scott and Tziporah took Ruby to her guitar recital, I went to my Shelter party, and that left the rest of the kids to glom onto Josh and Emily's family at the ward party.  Freestone even won some centerpieces!

 After Tziporah's nap in the car, she arrived at the recital ready to play.  She showed the program to Ruby and said, "This has my name on it.  I'll play the violin!"  This poor child has GOT to pick up some skills!

Roy always has a nice reception afterwards, with food and wine.  Tziporah wanted some of the "apple juice," and when Scott told her it was wine, she kept saying, "I want some wine!  Give me some wine!"  Give ME some wine!  I'm going to need it, parenting this firestorm!  

 Despite every effort to be zen about the holidays, I could be found wrapping my somewhat lame friend gifts in the parking lot of Family Dollar, ten minutes after the party started.  Well, if I try to do it all, it's too much.  So sometimes, you just do the best you can.  You hand out Toblerones surrounded by straws and say to your friends (because you didn't have time to make cute tags), "Chocolate Doesn't Suck."  It's true.  What can I say?  The party, with a dozen of my high school friends, was 100% delightful.

 Sunday night, First Presidency Devotional.  So inspiring.  I came home wanting to serve more, lift more, help more and be a better friend, wife and mother.  But then I found some chocolate and crawled into bed instead.  Hey, there's always tomorrow to improve myself, right?

 These kids are most of our social life.  They are fun, they are important, they are our life and our future.  They are the people who will be there for us, so Scott and I want to be the people who are there for them.

At night when the twinkle lights are glowing, I sit back and bask in the feeling of a job well done, reflecting on the things we enjoyed that day, ruminating over the day's sweet inspirations.  I look at our elf, still slumbering.  He is too old and sleepy for pranks.  He once lived in Hollywood with a movie star named Burt Lancaster, my great-uncle's boss.  Now he's here, reminding me with his floppy limbs and perennially closed eyes, to slow it down, to take it all in, to imagine and remember...the magic of Christmas.

Spotlight Hog

The day after Golda's big recital, we had the chance to play Silent Night again, minus Araceli, who was at dance.  Cindy has a family Christmas recital every year, in which the students have to play a piece with members of their family.  This time we were joined by Tziporah.  She confidently marched ahead of us to the stage and planted herself in front of the piano.  I tripped on the stairs watching her and said, "Sorry!  I was distracted by the princess!"  Tizzy patiently stood there waiting during our number, but as soon as it was over, she demanded, "My turn!  Gimme a bio-yin!"  When I declined, she was so distraught Cindy suggested she play a note or two on my violin.  Oh man, I was one of those parents who indulges her naughty kid.  But the crowd was enjoying her performance so much, I'm sure I would have been boo'd out of there had I taken disciplinary action!  She played one Tocca Tocca and then pointed to the music with her bow.  "I need my music.  Put it on the music stand."

Too far, Tizzy.  Too far.  With that, her performance was over and the audience clapped loudly enough to see her all the way off the stage and safely to her seat.  Really, we should not be encouraging this spotlight-hogging behavior. Except that Tziporah already has a spot reserved on next year's recital program, at Cindy's request.  Next time, the will come prepared with both an instrument and a song to play on it, and she can steal the show with some legitimate chops.  Even if it's just a Twinkle.

Golda's Senior Recital

 Last night was Golda's senior recital.  She has been preparing music for this for probably two years.  She and her teacher Cindy put together a really good program and Golda nailed every single piece.  She was fantastic.  I was so proud of her!  I don't even think she made a single mistake.  Maybe one rocky note on Swiss Air. ;) Golda has the gift of grace under fire.

The senior recital is a rite of passage.  Cindy doesn't require one, but she strongly encourages it, and so do I.  It's really the only venue for a student to showcase what all those thousands of hours of practicing were for, and to demonstrate their level of ability graduating from high school.  Our friends and family know Golda plays flute, but if they were at the recital, they now know that man!  She REALLY plays flute!  This recital is the first and last of its kind, unless Golda decides to major in music in college.  For that reason, I have been super emotional about this event.  Scott even took some of the kids to Park City for a couple of days to give me mental space as well as time to clean and prepare.  He knew better than I did what I would want.  I joined them Saturday night for a few hours of peace, coming home Sunday morning alone with my thoughts of Golda and all of her efforts over the years.  It was the perfect way to celebrate Golda in my mind.

We didn't invite any kids to the recital, ours included, so I was able to watch (after the duet I played with Golda) and really focus on Golda's performance.  I tried to stay in the moment and listen to the music.  It was profoundly enjoyable.

 Scott recorded each piece.
Carnival of Venice, such a difficult piece!
Winter Spirits, a contemporary solo piece.
Bach Polonaise and Badinerie
Golda asked Ruby to play a piece on guitar so she could get a drink.  It's not easy to play for 45 minutes!  Ruby played Bianca Fiore.
Swiss Air
Summer Music
Haydn Duet for Two Flutes.  I was honored, if a bit rusty.
Silent Night, a trio with Araceli on cello.
And I can't find the recording of the Quantz Concerto.  Hmm...

 Duet with Alyssa Stewart, recorded here.  They went to State Solo and Ensemble with this piece last year.

 Cindy's presentation of the trophy and her speech, along with mine, are on Youtube here.  I was on my way to Park City Saturday night when it came to me what I wanted to say at the recital.  I pulled over at a Christmas tree lot off I-80 and wrote it down, not wanting to lose the moment.

 I get choked up all over again when I see this picture.  Thank you so much for being there.

 Cindy is such an incredible teacher.

 Emily and Jess, good friends.

 Coco, Michelle, Matthew, Christine and Jess.  Did I already thank you?  :)