Recitals

Finn and I both had recitals earlier in the week, and we're both happy to report that we are done!

Let's start with Finn.  My violin teacher had asked if he'd like to play a piece at the violin recital, which had sort of morphed into a family recital (one sibling of a student played the dulcimer, another played piano, a dad accompanied his daughter on guitar, etc.).  Finn was game for it, even though it involved playing a keyboard, not a piano.  He went before me at my recital, introduced himself and the piece, and then....wow.

My husband later told him "I think everyone thought, 'how cute, this little boy will get up and play a song.'  But as soon as you started, you were in command of the room."

He played "Carol of the Bells." The thing that makes that piece commanding is having a tight grip on the changing dynamics, and Finn is so good at dynamics.  

Then it was my turn. I didn't feel nervous, so I introduced my piece, and guess what?  Some adrenaline rush poured into my body and my bow would not stop shaking!!!  By the time I got to the end of my first song I was just laughing because I couldn't believe it. I'd never had to fight through a shaking bow before--having never performed in front of an audience before--and I was stunned at the way my body seemed to betray me.  All I could do was laugh!  Finn--my honest music critic--told me that my sound was still very good, but I was fighting to just maintain control, so I didn't even hear how I played.  

Second song was only slightly better, and when my teacher came in for the duet, I was a little calmer.  But talk about being shocked by your own lack of control over your body.  Yikes.

After my recital we went out for Mexican food and then I went home for a long winter's nap!

Finn's piano recital was Monday night.  He played "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (cute and always a crowd-pleaser), Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" (a duet with his teacher), and "Carol of the Bells."  He played flawlessly.  I don't know how he does it, really. The funny thing was, his teacher had just finished playing a commanding duet and she still had adrenaline coursing through her body, and she actually messed up on her duet with Finn!  So they played the song a second time.  She apologized later, but I told her all of her students probably really appreciated realizing that even a professional can suffer from an overdose of adrenaline from time to time.

I appreciated realizing it, too!