Happy Mother's Day

I've taken an entire week off from practicing the organ. I'm feeling guilty, but for most of the week I was out of town at a conference.

The worst part of being away from the kids (besides just being away from the kids) is that I tend to read. Now I am stuck in a book that I haven't finished yet, and I don't have a mother to hide it from me until my work is finished. And trust me there are things I should be doing besides reading a book.

The best thing about my trip was that I got a chance to visit with my mother. And it was a unique visit as it was the first time we've spent time together one to one in ... wow, it could be decades. My boss asked me if we ran out of things to say. Nope. It was a wonderful visit.

In honor of Mother's day, I thought I would list the top 10 things I've learned from my mother -- or from my mother's example. Starting with Number 10

• 10. Everything tastes better with horseradish on it (or as my mother says, "Horsereddish") 
• 09. Music improves your quality of life. 
• 08. Teaching your kids music takes more tenacity than I have (please note that 4 of my mother's 5 daughters play the organ) 
• 07. Getting kids to practice takes a cunning mind -- Me: "Mom, did you know I used to practice to get out of doing the dishes?" Mom: "Did you know I used to let you get out of the dishes so you'd practiced?" 
• 06. If there's not enough time in the day to get things done, get up an hour earlier. When I started getting up at 4:30 to practice, my mom started getting up at 3:30. 
• 05. Always keep something in your purse to study. You never know when you will have to sit in a doctor's office or in a car waiting for your children. Time is too precious to waste. 
•  04. When keeping your kids in line, a raised eyebrow is better than a raised voice. 
• 03. The ward choir is about worship -- not vocal prowess. 
• 02. Listening to Dad sing is way better than complaining about dad singing 
• 01. The number 1 thing I learned from my mother, I learned from my father. "If you girls can grow up to be half the woman your mother is, you'll be alright." -- Here's hoping I hit the halfway mark. :)

Remember When

Remember way back when -- when all I had to worry about was mushy trills? Those were the days. I am sick that after all the months (and in the case of the Bach piece - years) of study, I choked on performance night. I was happier with the practice runs I'd had earlier that day. I just feel like I was fighting the organ. My articulation came across legato, and for no apparent reason I made really loud, obnoxious mistakes from panicking. Perhaps this is one of the stages of performance. Because clearly I can look back a year ago and say this performance is way better than my last performance. But that bothers me too because I know that a year from now I will look back at this performance and think "wow, I am so much better now." Which brings me back to how embarrassing it is to be this limited now. Anyway, the yogurt afterwards was great.

Joecentric

The last post was Naji-centric. This post is going to be Joe centric. Joe has plumb worn me out this past week. He had concerts on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I'm just barely now recovering. Here are some highlights. 1) You know how I love Mozart (or you should know). 2) If you watch this video, make sure you check out his sweet solo at 1 minute 50 seconds 3) Nothing is sweeter that to see your boy in a flute choir. (Apparently this is the best way to meet girls) 4) And last but not least, here's Joe at the powwow And Joe, if you're reading this, I'm sorry I smooshed your car. And Jenna, if you're reading this, I'm sorry I forgot to ask Kevin to record your composition. Now we totally need to meet in some garden spot to make the music video.

Smooshy Trills

This semester, in addition to working on my non-legato articulation in my organ classes. I am also working on my smooshy trills. Apparently I start out ok, but then I get going too fast and my final notes loose all articulation and smash together. Smooshy. But isn't that how I live my life? This weekend was one of those smooshy trills. I raced to JoJo's band concert on Friday, got up before dawn on Saturday to practice and study before I had to pick up my vegetables and haul off the last of the caterpillar branches, study some more, then off to a fund raising fashion show, then race back to meet Joseph and Naji at the student powwow -- leave a little early so we can make it to Joe's orchestra concert. Go to bed, get up before dawn to practice and study, go to church, study, then go to Joseph's ensemble concert. Trust me. There will be more video to come. Let's start with the powwow and Naji. :)




 Also thanks to Charity for taking pics of Naji today. They were for her photography class. Man did we luck out that she picked Naji for her historic picture homages!

Fair Warning

I've had a couple of complaints that I cover events after they happen but never give notice that they are going to happen. So here's my notification. The organ recital for the Dixie State College of Utah organ students (of which I am one) is scheduled for Saturday the 28th of April at 7:00 at the St. George Tabernacle.

If you want to know more about what kind of organist I am, you can visit the SALSA (Society of Awesome Latter-dat Saint Accompanists) Pedal Points blog. This week's questionnaire features me. Here is the link,

More Beautiful

Have you ever noticed that there are those people who the longer you know them, the more beautiful they seem? And sometimes you think it is because the more you get to know them, the more you see their spirit shine through. And other times, it is because that person is growing and flourishing. Thriving. And you watch them blossom right before your eyes. When Jenna, our good friend (and fellow Southwest Fretted Philly), took the stage last night at Dixie College's Vocal Recital, my jaw dropped. I am used to her being more beautiful each time I see her, but her command of the stage was simply stunning.

And as an added bonus, she sounded great! I have always been a fan of her voice, but I could really see the work she'd put into her craft (although it is still fun to mock vocalists for skating by on their God given talent -- what are they a bunch of teacher's pets? -- or as we say in the field of theology, a bunch of best-beloveds)

Bow Ties are Cool

Bow Ties are cool. And so are people who accompany other people for credit. And so are kids who say, "Don't post this performance," and then add, "because my next performance will be so much better," and then it is. Way to go Joe!

(Love the Bow Tie!)