Violin Recital

My students did their closing recital on Thursday night. We were able to have it at the town theater, which has a stage and pretty great acoustics, as well as a decent piano and lots of great seating. I felt really good about how everything went, except that it may have seemed a bit long to some. It was an awesome experience for me in a few ways.

First of all, my boys were in this recital for the first time as soloists. Owen started off the program with Twinkle Twinkle. He kept his posture really well the whole time he was playing, and he even remembered to bow at the end! Everyone loved seeing him up there. Then Ryrie played his solo--Ode to Joy. He did well, although we both agreed he has played it better in the past. I loved how he adjusted his bow when it got too scratchy and his fingers when the notes were out of tune. We've been working on that. William played Kansas Boys--a cute folk song with some fun bow lifts--and he played it on the d and the a strings. He didn't rush and he didn't accent on the lifts, which we'd been working on. After their two other friends played their solos, the five boys did a trio called "Who's That Knocking at the Window." I played the drum, and they lined up on stage and played. It was very professional looking, and I was pretty proud of my boys. I think they had a fun time too, and William especially commented on the great treats that we got to eat afterwards.

Often at these recitals I am pretty nervous, and for some reason I wasn't this time. I found myself really enjoying the music and not stressing for the students. This was a great feeling. During one performance in particular, one of my older students
--she is about 60 or so--I started to think about all that she and the others were doing. I started to feel really happy that I am teaching the violin. Happy and fulfilled, would be a good way to describe it. It is fulfilling to help give the gift of music to someone else--not only playing for them, but helping them develop that talent for themselves. Like the quote about giving a man a fish versus teaching the man to fish, I guess. There are four wonderful girls that I have taught for over almost half their lives who are graduating this year. It was a pretty tender and emotional night for me as I listened to each of them perform and thought back over the wonderful years and the amazing young women that they are. They each have a beautiful tone and vibrato and the musical ability and desire to get up in front of people and share their music. I am so happy that they can go out into the world with this talent in their possession to share with other people and make a difference in the world. It was delightful and inspiring to see them play Pachelbel's Canon beautifully together. I'll miss them next year. The girls gave me some beautiful roses which are perfuming my whole dining room and I love them--the flowers and the girls. :-)So it was a wonderful night, and I am still basking in the glow of it, which is a very satisfying feeling.