Siblings in Concert

After the school year finished in December we set one week aside for a new project. Music has been a large part of our lives for quite some time now, with almost all of us playing something, and some of the children taking lessons in more than one instrument. Exams are scattered throughout our calendar, and all the required practice makes silence an almost unknown idea around here. One thing we are short on though is performance opportunities, so I set out to rectify that situation. With my schedule regularly stretched beyond its limits and my diary overflowing with things to do, I've been looking for things that will suit more than one goal or purpose. In this case, our need for performance opportunities could be coupled with our desire to promote a culture of life in New Zealand and to help build community (if only in a small way) by presenting a musical program to several local rest homes. 

Danielle took responsibility for this project: preparing, designing, and introducing the programs, contacting the venues to book concerts, and letting us all know where we had to be and when! We presented one concert daily for five days, each day at a different rest home. I also took the siblings busking several times using the same program already prepared, giving them additional and different performing experience, and a little pocket money for their effort in practice and performance.

: : A couple of the rest homes gave "thank you" gifts : :

Kedgley Music Centre Concert

This year we had two performers in the concert -- Bryce in 2nd year trumpet and Diana in 1st year cello. It's always nice to see the culmination of all their lessons and practice into one final performance. 

: : Shield award nomination from Diana's teacher : :

: : . . . and from Bryce's : :

Kedgeley Music School Concert

We've been at this concert a few years in a row now...first with Danielle on clarinet and this time Bryce on trumpet (more in future *wink*). This was his first trumpet performance, after a year of lessons. He performed Botany Bay with confidence and demonstrated good musical knowledge and skill.

: : First concert : :

: : New instrument #1 : :

: : New instrument #2 : :

: : She wanted a new picture with the shield she won a couple years ago : :

: : First year COMPLETE : :

Music School Concert

Since Danielle was taking clarinet lesson through a music school, she played in their year-end concert. :)

: : Being introduced by her teacher : :
Overview: 200% pupil; grade 4 in two years

: : Last year she was nominated for this award; this time she won it : :

And I Return

Hello! 

Nope, contrary to what you may have thought, I haven't dropped off the planet! Wow, has it really been three months already since my last post?! I have a stack of photos waiting to be edited and uploaded, but between busyness and technical issues I haven't managed to work on them. :/

During September and October I spent three weeks in Australia, visiting friends and family . . . and enjoying the weather :D lol. In Aus, short sleeves and jandals -- try not to get sunburnt; walk off the plane into Auckland terminal -- *put puffer jacket on* *still freeze*. Lol. Great trip! Photos coming :)

Since I've been back I've taught a full term of recorder classes, and finished the year off with my students and siblings performing a concert at a local rest home. It's somewhat weird to think I've been teaching for three years now!

While I have some extra time on my hands *cough* since my students are on summer holidays, I become student again, solidifying scales for my next flute exam, and studying so I can {one day/finally} graduate. So if I come on here speaking French and {scientific} Latin . . .

Somewhere between knocking things off my to do list and enjoying the warmer weather (if and when it arrives lol) I'm supposed to get some job hunting in. *Sigh*

At present I can't edit photos on our desktop computer (not sure if I can run updates to rectify that or not) and the adapter for my super-slow laptop died last week . . . I should be able to replace that but not sure how quickly with Christmas being this week. So hopefully I can sort something out and get some more photos on here! But for now, 

Farewell!

Bethesda Rest Home Concert || December 2014

So I didn't actually go . . . but some of the videos are pretty good so thought I'd share them. :)

Recorder Quintuplet || Ode to Joy

{Actually just a duet played with five recorders}

Diana || Recorder Solo

                                          

Danielle || Recorder Solo

Swan Lake Theme ~ Tchaikovsky 

Recorder & Violin Ensemble 

New Zealand National Anthem || God Defend New Zealand

Bryce

Yeah, another back-dated post. Sorry . . .

Happy 7th Birthday, Bryce!!

Highlights of Bryce's year as a 6-year-old include

• beginning recorder lessons -- and playing in his first two concerts!
• playing Uno with anyone who'll join him
• flying through his maths textbooks (chapter a day, anyone?) and amazing us all with his computation skills (first math-brain in the family!)

Bryce would love a birthday message from you! Leave it in the comments section below. :)

Diana

Happy 9th Birthday Diana!

Over the past year Diana has

• played {recorder} in her first concert
• begun cooking meals {alone} for the family occasionally
• learned to knit

Leave her a message in the comments section below!

Concert @ Bethesda Resthome

Although not something we have done a lot of, historically, performance is an important aspect of music education. Along with the Campbells (who teach Jarrod and Monique violin), and my recorder students, we concluded term 2 with a concert at Bethesda Resthome in Manukau.

: : Opening with Amazing Grace : :

: : Violin Duets : :

Allegro Andante by John Stanley on my flute:

Danielle began clarinet at the beginning of this year, but she has/has just about caught up to the year 2 students, so we asked her to play a solo. Just before she walked up she asked me what she should play, but since I don't oversee either her lessons or practice, I wasn't really sure. I did, however, expect her to play something she had worked on in her lessons and could play well. So I was a little surprised when she announced she would play Botany Bay, which she found the music for online fairly recently! That's typical Danielle style though, so I should have known(!), and she played really well.

: : 

Guy Fawkes with Cousins

On November 5th we visited our cousins' place for dessert and fireworks:

Inside or outside?!

Since my flute exam was the following day and I had come straight from my second lesson
of the day (together they totalled two hours!!), a mini-concert was in order! ;)

And the others have a turn!

Heels run in the family . . . haha