An Evening of Music, Fellowship and Chocolate

Thursday night we held a violin recital in our home to celebrate Sarah's finishing up Book One of the Suzuki Music School.

We are so thrilled to see her graduate on to the next level!

Sarah warming up before the Recital
Her beautiful dress was hand made by her Grandma Linda!

Many of you know that Sarah has been learning to play the violin since she was just a wee toddler of two. This journey has had many ups and downs and side stops along the way... She began in Tokyo, Japan...

Sarah with her first Violin Teacher in our apartment in Tokyo
Winter of 2001

We soon made a move back to the States, where after a few months of looking, we found another excellent teacher to continue her instruction... This was a time of building a foundation...of good habits and technical skill... and after a year or more of pre-twinkles we finally graduated to begin Book One. Two moves and two instructors later, she is finally moving forward at a strong pace...

Sarah and Jenny, her wonderful violin Instructor,
playing a duet

Although it seems a long time for Sarah... and sometimes she has felt like she has been taking one step forward and two steps back...she has worked hard and diligently the entire way. The time spent has served her well as she has matured and worked to finish up the first of many books to come...



As with anything of value, hard work and diligence are at the core of success. Playing an instrument takes daily commitment... we are so proud of Sarah for sticking with it.

Friends

Of course, after the recital, we enjoyed the fellowship of friends and family that came to support Sarah and we feasted on chocolate covered strawberries and a double chocolate cake prepared by my wonderful and talented mother.

Our Chocolate...

A special thanks to my mother, Linda, Jenny (Sarah's Violin Instructor), and Pat (our wonderful pianist), for graciously sharing your time, gifts and talents to make this evening very special.

What a great memory for all of us to draw from as we move forward to book two!

A Virtuoso Kind of Day

I am so proud of my little girl. I had to share with you all...
Sarah performed at a Fall Festival with her fellow student and duet partner! These girls have worked hard since the beginning of September. Playing a Duet is harder than it sounds... when done right... the melody is beautiful and flowing... when playing the parts out of sync and without harmony... they are harsh and hard on the ears... (many practice sessions I have winced in pain at the horrendous sounds coming forth from these two adorable girls.)

The girls had to learn to prepare their own parts through commitment to practice, both on their own, as well as together; they had to learn to play in tune; to play at the same tempo; and... to listen to each other... this was very important to their success as a whole. They had to let go of their "personal" style and make adjustments for each other... In the end, they had to do their best and trust each other to do their part so that the whole did not fail.

I started thinking about life and how important it is to serve one another. Certainly there are times to let our personal style shine in the Solo spot light and lead the way... Yet, most of life is about teamwork. We need to commit to do our part well; to work hard; to be gracious and accommodate for one another's weaknesses; and, most importantly, to make it a point to listen to each other... :) I certainly hope these girls came away with a bit of this lesson in their own hearts.

The Festival was a success. The girls did their best... it was lovely.