Kitchen Crowds

We are preparing for the weekend by making six pies together

I did not take pictures at the meetings: there was too much to do! I can say I have made more lemonade this weekend than I ever made in the rest of my life combined. But that was a drop in the rain barrel compared to all of the work there was to do... 

So many people were working together to make the special meetings special. 

 And NOW the chalkboard is put to good use! Last night after the gospel meeting I took these pictures. Uncle Ernie has just finished tweety bird (or what is that thing?). Notice there is a breakfast menu- that was left over from the day before. We had 11 house guests! None are pictured.

 There were some great stories about Uncle Ernie's Dad. (There are a lot of stories about that man.) One was when he was assigned to draw a circle in art and he managed to draw a perfect freehand circle when the teacher wasn't looking. The teacher came over to check his work took a compass and copied the circle perfectly then whacked him over the head for cheating.

Missed getting Uncle Dan in these pictures but he and Marc were "talking shop" in a different part of the house at the time. I've learned that guests gravitate to the big kitchen in this house. The kitchen just seems to be the favorite place to be. This was also the place where I saw my Aunt laugh harder than I think I have ever seen her laugh. I've seen her laugh before, but she really came unglued this time. It was a great evening after a wonderful weekend, but there were two people from Belgium I really missed last night!

Events in the New Studio

This post is a bit of a photo essay on what has been happening in my new piano studio

The Piano Tuner comes and tunes and voices the piano

 After tuning, he pulls the keyboard into his lap and reaches for his tools...

 He needles the felts of the hammers that are made of very fine wool, to reverse the hardness brought on by years of playing/compacting.

 This draws in a quietly fascinated bunch of kids who stand respectfully watching someone do something extraordinary that Mom would never ever ever allow them to do themselves...

 Also in awe of the Boston's disrobed appearance

 Meanwhile Chris turns the whole keyboard around in order to shape the hammers

 And stuffs the keys deep into the piano!

 This makes for a very odd couple of photographs

 He shapes the hammers with a kind of metallic flexible sandpaper guided by his experienced hands

And the result is a piano that sounds so different and... well, mellow and fluffy! Before, in Chris's words, "it was so bright it would knock your fillings out," but now we have a much deeper and gentler sound. Voicing can be done to pianos on a regular basis, but it takes so long you can expect to pay more. Chris was here from 10:30 to 3:00 and could have spent more time here as well, but I was not very nice in rushing him a bit to fit in another lesson at 3:00. But wow, it sounds better in here.... and it exposed the fact that I have not been asking much in the way of much balance in the sound of my students' melodies: the treble was so shrill I thought it all was enough- turns out everyone's treble melodies are actually a bit soft!

Then on the 5th we had WSMTA Adjudications! Del Parkinson from Boise State University was our adjudicator this year. And wow, is it ever fun to have adjudications here in my new studio!

 I wish I had taken photographs of all my participating students, but sometimes I forgot because I was so busy taking notes. I've never photographed adjudications before, (thankfully I have a quiet camera) but since Del Parkinson was very comfortable and was working really well with the students, I took the pictures of what was transpiring and am so glad I did: it is a really good memory and it's such a great record of seeing a teacher work with such skill and kindness with the students. Sometimes it's a bit fuzzy because I left the flash off mostly, not to disturb things.

 The adjudicator knows being in an exam/performance situation can be stressful and has just the right way of putting a student at ease. Here Jamin gets some tips on his Robert Vandall Jazz Sonatina.

 Amber has just performed and he is writing her evaluation sheet before he gives her a lesson.

 This student really seemed to give the adjudicator a good time! Mr. Parkinson said to me at the end of the day, "Please tell your students again, they were amazing! I was so impressed!"
(Yay!)

 And here the certificate and the ribbon are given after an adjudication

 Even the very littlest ones who were invited to participate were given great consideration. Normally I don't start them this young or this early in events, but this little one is so prepared always, and is such a good student- I could tell he was enjoying her!

 And here is another one who is clearly responding well! 

Dan finished the day off with Sonata movements by Beethoven and Prokofiev.
That was a long and happy day! I had 26 students participate this year. Then afterward I taught two piano lessons. I really really enjoy teaching piano. One student said to me tonight at the end of her lesson "Do you ever get tired?" Yes... but not of teaching!