Anna and Emily participated in the Kansas City Music Teachers Association Fall Festival earlier this morning. They have been doing this for a number of years. Enjoy hearing their pieces:
Anna plays Handel: Sonata in C
Emily plays Bach: Prelude in C minor
Anna and Emily celebrated homecoming last weekend with a night out with their friends, including dates with nice young men.
Anna went with Brock.
Emily went with Matthew.
The report is that all had a good time. Emily had her group over to the house after the dance for movies and snacks. Anna went to another house for her after-party. Importantly, she was home before midnight.
I’d love to tell you more about everything that went on, but you know how much teenage girls will tell their dad about the date…
It’s amazing how homecoming has become such a big deal these days. Linda and I were discussing how homecoming was a dance in the gym after the football game – and you went in jeans and sweatshirts, not suits and semi-formal dresses. I can’t imagine how much we’ll have to spend when Prom comes around!
Emily had her first Friday night football game as a member of the high school marching band. She played awesome.
Linda had her spring piano recital several days ago. Of course, Emily and Anna played. It was an absolute joy listening to them play on this recital; they have continued to blossom into wonderful musicians.
Enjoy Emily playing Mazurka in F Major by Chopin:
Next, please enjoy Anna playing Polonaise in G minor by Chopin:
Finally, here is a group picture of all her students:
Sunday near Valentines day finds us once again in Lawrence at the Kansas University Lied Center for the Kansas City Music Teachers Association MultiPiano concert. Imagine a stage filed with 16 grand pianos and two players at each piano. Over 500 participants (over 2 concerts) make for a wonderful experience.
Linda and the girls have participated for quite a few years. I did it for a couple years, but the girls have surpassed my comfortable playing ability.
Great job to all three of the ladies.
Unfortunately, Emily’s Russian Tortoise, Mr. Bubbles, died suddenly yesterday.
I got a text from Emily while at work yesterday asking for the phone number of a good friend that raises turtles so she could call for advice. It seemed Mr. Bubbles wasn’t moving or responding. After several phone calls to vets and friends, it was determined that Mr. Bubbles had indeed expired. It was very unexpected as he was very lively the previous day. In fact, we often called his high-speed strolls through his cage turtle olympics and he was crushing it two days ago.
Mr. Bubbles came to our home only about a month ago. Emily had posted on Facebook to Santa that all she wanted for Christmas was a turtle. A neighborhood friend then responded that she could have his because his mother had told him it was time to find a new home for Mr. Bubbles. What a great win-win situation for both parties. We drove 3 blocks over and picked up Mr. Bubbles and his cage and belongings and he settled in quite nicely in Emily’s bedroom.
He was a very spry turtle and was fun to watch as he would move quickly along the floor of his cage or along the floor of Emily’s bedroom. Emily loved that turtle immensely. She fed it, watered it, misted it with water, cuddled it, and just loved it. It was very good to see her take on the responsibility and knock it out of the park. So, the sudden death hit us even harder knowing the great care it had received.
Services are pending…
Watch Emily at the piano recital just a couple weeks ago. She did an awesome job playing Prelude in C by Bach.
Emily attended the Pacesetters Dance Clinic today with several friends. This is the dance team for the local high school and Emily is really hoping to be part of it when she starts attending there.
Enjoy a little clip of what they worked on for about 2 hours before they showed all the parents what they learned.
The four of us attended the Justin Bieber concert last night. Anna has had this date circled for a long time. I went along to be the good Dad.
It’s amazing how loud a stadium full of screaming girls can be. See my two react to Justin making his grand entrance.
It really was a good concert. Cody Simpson opened, followed by Carley Rae Jepsen. The girls were primed by that point, and how they weren’t hoarse by that point I’ll never know.
Now that the next morning has come, my ears have stopped ringing.
Lest you think I’m too old for loud concerts…Linda and I both agree Tim McGraw puts on a louder show – and we’ve seen him 5 times!
Enjoy the middle school jazz band playing the jazz classic, “Kansas City”. Emily is at the keyboard.