Triple Piano Recital

Earlier this year, all the kids were ready for their graduation recitals.....

at the same time.

We did not plan this, it just happened that way.

This meant 3 recitals, all in one night.

It was a great night of music.

McKay graduated from Book 1 in the Suzuki piano method. McKay is a unique student. Even though Suzuki teaches students to first learn by ear, and then learn to read music, McKay has an exceptional talent for this. He can pick out the melody to any tune on the piano, in any key....any Christmas song, any song Connor is playing, any song we like on the radio.

He also loves to play duets. A lot of kids his age can't handle someone playing a completely different part at the same time. He, on the other hand, loves it! So, for his recital, he played several duets with his teacher, Mrs. Connie Bell.

Or, "Grandma", to them.

Makenna also graduated from Suzuki piano book 1. Her strengths are technique, technique, and technique. She sits perfectly; her hand position is perfect and she tries to play the exact way grandma, I mean Mrs. Bell, wants her to play. She loves to play with dynamics: quiet and soft; loud and with power. She is very good and picks up things very quickly.

Connor graduated 1/2 way through book 3. The reason they do a 1/2 way recital is because the songs are too long to keep good while learning the rest of the songs in book 3. One song is 6 pages and 3 movements long, and the other is 4 pages and 2 movements long.

Connor is doing incredibly well with his piano. It hasn't been all peaches and cream (i.e. early morning practicing) but it's been well worth it. He is playing some pretty hard Sonatas right now, and performed with as much musicality as I've seen a 9 year old play with. He loved the response from the crowd at the recital and played with much gusto! He really got into the dynamics and feelings of the songs he played and the crowd just ate it up. And by the look on his face, you could tell, he LOVED it!

During refreshments, Connor and one of his good friends Asher, decided to raid Grandma's dress-up box. (Thank you for coming, by the way, Ash!!!) Here are the results:

The dapper, weight-lifting, bobcat athlete; and the reggae robber.

"Jason" with a yellow wig; and Thor (as a robber) with a boa.

All the kids with their favorite teacher, Grandma Bell.