So, Rachel made it to the Finals of the 2011 Young Hoosiers Piano Competition. Yippee! That sums part of what has been going on around here lately. It’s been all about the piano lately. :-) The competition was up in West Lafayette. Mom and Dad drove here and we all rode together up to the competition. I think it helped calm Rachel’s nerves and gave her something to focus on besides the competition. We made it there about 45 minutes early (surely a record for us) so she would have time to practice. We were supposed to be in the competition room 15 minutes before her scheduled time (4:25), so we heard a few of other competitors, who were very good. Rachel did very well with “Bethena” and did not look or sound nervous at all. We were very proud of her!
The next day began her first day of Butler Piano Camp. She was mostly looking forward to it, but was a little nervous about the prospect of being somewhere new and big from 9:00 – 5:30 Monday through Friday. It ended up being a great experience for her! She made some new friends and learned a tremendous amount about music. In addition to the workshops and practicing, she had a daily private lesson with a professor (Ms. Kim) who helped her fine tune “Bethena”. (She wished she could’ve had those lessons before the competition!)
The recital was on Friday. Mick came home around 11:00 and we headed off to Butler. We left about 10 minutes earlier than we needed to be sure we could get there in time for the 1:00 pictures of the group. Unfortunately, U.S. 421 was down to one lane and what should’ve been a 45-minute trip turned into a 75- minute trip!! So frustrating! But thankfully, we did get there in time for the recital to begin. The group performed together in Lilly Hall, then we all walked over to the Recital Hall for the solo recitals. The Mozingos caught up with us there. Rachel’s “Bethena”, the final performance, was wonderful! We told her they saved the best for last. ;-)
Ms. Kim told Rachel she is ready for some Beethoven, Bach and Chopin, among others, so lately we have been browsing YouTube, trying to find the next piece to work on. This is one of the first ones we really liked: Chopin Nocturne Op.9 No.2. Beautiful! We’ve already found the sheet music and downloaded it last night. Rachel is also attacking the Alfred piano instruction series books to make sure she keeps learning the basics.
We don’t know God’s plans for her gift, but it’s fun, exciting and humbling to watch it begin to unfold!
Are you sure she isn't ready to teach a beginner? :) Good job Rachel!!
ReplyDeleteNot yet, but when she is, we know where to start looking for students. ;-) Actually, Sharron, your request is one of the things that set a lot of this into motion. We had never thought about the possibility of her giving lessons, and she likes that idea very much. At this point, that is her goal.
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