Show choir hair- curly, done up, extra bounce for extra energy on stage. This is achieved by curling it in some manner. For the first two performances, I went the curling iron route. I learned that while this is great, for long- term hold, meaning all day hold, and for bounce, you really need to use curlers.
I talked to my mom, as all daughters do, to get advice. She later texted me from Wal-Mart telling me what they had for rollers and off I went to buy the time-honored foam rollers.
Thursday, after school, armed with a spray bottle, I sat Audrey at my feet and prepared to spritz and roll. But not before I called a friend to get last minute rolling advice. Her words? There may not be enough time for the hair to dry in the rollers. No problem, I said. I’ll just hit it with the hair dryer. (Thus commencing the whole hair dryer fiasco.) And how do I do it again? Little to big? Big to little? She told me start with the big on bottom and work to little on top. So Audrey and I talked, turning her head and body this way and that, dampened and rolled and… proceeded to do it opposite of what Renee told me. Heh! We were just trying this whole thing out, no biggie. It turned out just fine. Some hair was still a little damp and I just touched it up with the curling iron. The kids had a nice performance that night. (Renee said she used heat rollers in her daughter’s hair because of the shorter time frame. I was going to borrow Beth’s but forgot to get them because I was smitten with Valor.)
Friday night, armed with the now familiar hair implements, I rolled Audrey’s hair for two hours! I would grab a nice little section of hair, combing it smooth, dampen it thoroughly, roll it carefully, making sure I used the big one on bottom and working to the small ones on top. It was a thing of beauty. Well, sort of. Off to bed she went.
Saturday morning. Glorious Saturday morning. We sleep in. I stumble around the house for a while, slip in a run then Audrey and I assemble all the stuff needed for our now pre-performance ritual. She texts her friends or takes wonky pictures of us, I apply make-up. She tells me for the one hundredth time not to curl her bangs. I tell her if I hear that one more time…, etc. All the while, I comfort myself with the thought that there are at least thirty moms in the Ballard area doing the exact same thing at the same time.
We are a little behind on the time schedule, but no problem. I start unrolling the big ones from the bottom. Big, beautiful, boingy curls (raise your hand if you remember Ramona Quimby’s envy of the girl with the boingy curls.). Yes! Moving on up, more curls. Nice. These are definitely staying in. This is definitely the way to go. About the 3rd size up, the curls are becoming a little obnoxious. As in, they are frizzier than I would like and I’m not advanced enough in my foam roller skills to know exactly how to handle the frizz, but they were sort of that way Thursday night and it worked out just fine. Finally, I un-roll the smallest ones on the top of her head. My eyes widened. I un-roll another one and my eyes noticeably bulged. Another one- oh! Another one- OH MY WORD! I flew through the rest of the rollers because… because OH MY WORD!! My daughter’s beautiful hair looked like a stressed out poodle had just electrocuted itself!!!
I do not have any pictures to show you as I forbade Audrey from taking any. I laughed a little nervous laugh. I stood there, Home Alone like, poking at the frizzed out mass, wondering what in the world to do. At this point, Audrey reminded me that we didn’t have that much time and she still needed make-up! There was no time for a re-do. So with every curling iron under our roof heating up, I informed Audrey that she would be applying her own make-up, to which she protested and to which I firmly announced that there was no other option and I would instruct her step by step through it. I picked up the largest barrel iron, grabbed a section of hair and with a prayer heavenward and a sizzle of possible follicle damage tried out what I hoped would save my daughter from utter embarrassment.
It worked!! IT WORKED!!!!
I whipped through the upper half of Audrey’s hair like I was on Extreme Home Make-Over, re-curling the undulating sea of brown froth into smooth(-er) waves and then hairsprayed the whole thing. (But who am I kidding? Those curls were going no where, for a long time. But it just feels not finished unless it’s sprayed. Call me Annelle from Steep Magnolias.) I touched up her make-up just a bit. She flew downstairs to gather the rest of her things, I slapped together a pb sandwich for her, hollered to the boys that I’d be right back and jump into the van, pulling violently (but carefully) out of the driveway. Two van lengths down the block, I just let out a good ol’ scream and Audrey and I laughed and Oh my worded all the way to the school. Bill was coming home from the shop, when he saw us rounding the corner. Later, after I unleashed the fury of the story to him, he said we looked happy in the car. I said we were grinning silly, on the brink of show choir hair insanity!!
Her hair, by the time I saw her on stage looked great! It definitely had the most bounce it’s ever had. The show choir sang the best they have done to that point. They came in second and I’m sure it was close between them and first place.
We’ve now learned that Audrey never, ever wants a perm. Her hair takes styling so well that a perm will never be needed. That once you have a styling tool, you should always keep that styling tool unless it is broken and doesn’t work or you lose your hair, etc. That hair and make-up should be given plenty of time for styling. And that my daughter and I can enjoy this as a memory for a long time!!
I swear to you, this really is my life. I’m not making it up. I’m not staging it. Which makes it absolutely crazy and SO MUCH FUN!
The other night, Bill and Ben were putting Ben’s new number stickers on his bike which meant this…
That’s right. Ben is cleaning his rear fender in the tub. Oh, he scrubbed away and had a marvelous time. I hope he feels just as marvy once I have him clean the actual tub.
I was busy putting curlers in Audrey’s hair for show choir and went to get my hair dryer only to find it had been relocated to the mud room and re-purposed to help heat the stickers to the number plates. *I had to ask to use MY hair dryer!*
Finally, just because race season has ended and it’s take apart your bike and have it strewn all over the garage and freezer and bathroom season, doesn’t mean that we aren’t trying to squeeze in every other way of dirt bikes. In other parts of the world, it is perfect riding weather and extreme races are held.
One such race is the Red Bull Romaniacs. Here’s a link to the full video that shows a re-cap of the 2010 race. I was watching it with Ben and Luke the other day and what should my ear hear but classical music! So I screamed out: Bach’s Toccata in D Minor, Debussy’s Clair De Lune. I’m figuring why fight it? I’ll just teach Ben where he’s at! (Jacqui- I could see this as a video Joe could take over for cross curriculum study. 
The entire video is over an hour long. (The first minute and a half has that beeping sound used for emergencies so skip that.) You obviously don’t have to watch it. I’ve linked it to two different sections, though I think there are at least 3, maybe 4, classical pieces or folk tunes in the entire video. (Music teachers, I’m thinking you would definitely get Ben’s and other kids’ attention in class if you popped this up.)
Tomorrow we’ll talk show choir and curlers.
Audrey’s band concert was the week before school let out for break. This concert always compromises of the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade bands. Though it makes for a crowded gym sometimes (as 3/4 of the 5th grade is still in band at this point) it is always good to hear the progression each band makes over the years. The ones who benefit from this the most should be the kids, but a lot of times it’s the parents who can hold out hope that one day those squeaks and squawks will fade away into smooth sounds.
Whoops, sorry about the eyes closed. Didn’t take a lot of pics to begin with and this is the best. (Still trying to learn the balance between not enough and too many pics.) Also, they obviously weren’t playing here because if they were, you wouldn’t be able to see her as the director would be in the way.
Here’s the video.
I realize only grandparents may end up watching this but if you do watch, listen closely.
I don’t want to point this out as a fault, but as an observation. The woodwinds pull away from the rest of the band with their own tempo (meaning speed). And while I listened and cringed, fearing an unsalvageable catastrophe, the whole band somehow pulls it back together and they go on. A younger band would probably fall completely apart, have to stop and then start up again. I’m not saying that Audrey’s band is like, THE BEST!, I’m saying that it shows a degree of attentiveness on the part of the students and the coolness of the director. If Mr. Keese was sweating, we can’t tell through his jacket.
*sigh* I love band.
This is also the end of the Christmas Concert Season. Up next, Show Choir Season, Spring Concert Season, Harescramble Season. Wait- how’d that sneak in here?!
Merry Christmas to all my blog readers! I’m sorry this greeting is late. The power cord to my computer was broken until today but I‘m pretty sure that Jesus’ birth isn’t meant to be celebrated on just December 25th.
I love the Christmas hymn, “O Come, O Come, Immanuel”. Immanuel means God with us. God-with-us. God did not stay in heaven, unattainable. He came to be with us.
Cruising through Pandora’s Christmas stations, I heard this song and it’s my favorite of the season.
Now my night has turned to day
An empty manger, empty grave
Baby born so I could say
Now my night has turned to day
Thank you, Jesus, for coming an being with us.
Seems almost wrong to write this after that but if you LOVE that song, follow this link to Amazon for the song and 4 awesome others.
Along with those grilled burgers, potato salad, Rainbow Gelatin Cubes, and apple pie, it’s time to put a little music to all the 4th festivities. I know you’ve got all your faves already so I want to give you just one classical album to add to your listening.
This one, Americana. It’s a collection of many different composers and pieces. Many you will have heard before and though not written specifically for Independence Day, the pieces evoke a sense of patriotism and purpose.
There is only one piece, Shenandoah, that I personally don’t prefer. That’s my opinion. Buy the album, listen, skip over what you don’t like.
In my hometown, the local radio station would play patriotic music during the fireworks. I think that’s a great idea. Maybe you could squeeze in a couple of these into the mix this year.
If you have other classical patriotic pieces you’d love for us to listen to, leave a comment telling us.
Happy listening!
I’ve got some pictures for ya. And a video. About a broom. And a pair of overalls. And a solo. Sung by a janitor. Who’s in 7th grade. In a musical. About a gangsta’.
okay, okay, I’ll try full sentences now.
The 7th grade chorus put on a musical, Bugsy Malone Jr., Friday night. Audrey’s part was a janitor named Fizzy, who just wanted an audition but she never got one. She was fabulous. The whole 7th grade chorus was fabulous. Want to hear?
Here are some pics. The first three are courtesy of “the director’s” mom, who was sitting in the front row. Thanks Christy.
I love this janitor. And now I can get my broom back. She’s been practicing with it down in her room.
Well, did you make it to the THE SALE? Yes? No? Did you find what you were looking for? Yes? No? Did you give at least a little before you left? Yes? Good, good. No? Bad blog reader! (heh- just kidding, a little anyway) I’m not going to give away to final total because if Kurt and Lisa want to do that then you are going to have to go over to their blog, Running Towards Love, and find out for yourself. But I will tell you that because of so many generous people they were able to raise $$$!!! How awesome is that?!! (psst… you can still give, it’s not too late)
My piano studio’s final recital was also this weekend. Sixteen students. Thirty-seven pieces. Two kleenexes. I will proudly say that my students sounded the best they ever have on a recital. I am tremendously proud of them. I held it together until the second to last student. Then the tears started. I pulled myself together to fully hear the last student and then decided to hop up and end the whole thing while I was still dry. That lasted approximately 3 sentences. I had tried to write out a little something, a draft of what I might say, but I ended up crying over my paper. I decided I would just wing it, keeping it short and sweet. Here are a couple of highlights I remember sharing.
I can talk until I’m blue in the face and write until I run out of pencil lead, but it is the students that go home and practice and make it happen. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t. It is the students that deserve our praise.
I love helping unlock the mystery of music. To hear the gasp escape their mouth as I play a piece for them that they will learn, to see them understand the markings on a page that is foreign to so many people, is a delight to me.
Music is music. Whatever they’ve learned during their time with me will always apply to whatever other music study they do in life.
I babbled on bit more through tears before calling it quits. (I’ve taken to crying at all of my recitals now, so don’t think the tears this year were new.) Here is what I wrote on the back of the program:
To the parents and siblings, who have endured the rantings and ravings, sometimes done with words, sometimes done with music, thank you.
To the family and friends, who have been the impromptu audience and confidante, thank you.
To the students, who have listened, practiced, surged forward, resisted, pressed on, succeeded, you have my greatest admiration and sincerest appreciation.
The music is you.
Finally, my Facebook status yesterday. (‘cause that says it all, you know 
Students performing excellently on a piano recital is like an awesome 3-pointer or a touchdown pass, except you don't get to stand up and scream "YEAH!!". But if I had piano recital etiquette completely my way, I would do just that! Students, you were GREAT today!!
My students’ Spring studio recital is this weekend, Saturday, April 30 at 10:00 AM at Fjeldberg Lutheran Church in Huxley.
I’m telling you this because you are invited to come. All 16 students will be playing. They are going to sound fantastic. It will be my best recital ever!! In fact, it will probably be so good, it will be very hard to have it be my last.
Last, as in, I’m not going to be teaching any more, for a while. I’m taking a break.
As I looked over what I am involved in, where my time is spent and where and how I should be spending my time, this was the next thing on the list to fall below the line. Dave Ramsey uses that term ‘below the line’ when he described how when he was getting back on his financial feet and he only had so much money to pay off debts, that some debts didn’t get paid that month because they were ‘below the line’. I’ve adapted it for my life, especially this year. Two kids in junior high, one brand new to our family and taking a lot of time meant that lots of things fell below the line. I was simply out of time and energy.
A newly employed friend asked via Facebook how does a person do it? How does one work, have a family, eat healthy, spend time with friends, etc. The answer is that you can’t. Well, you can, sort of, but, almost always, something has to give. It is always a balancing act and you must continually look at your life, the direction it is headed and question if the path you are on now is going to get you to the destination you want to be later on. Sometimes the destination changes or you just simply don’t know. For me, the destination became clearer. I needed to make changes to get to that destination. I needed to clear some space in my life.
It’s not to say that I don’t think piano or music isn’t important. It is! It always will be! (If you want me to get started, I can, but it will have to wait.) I love teaching piano. I ‘geek’ music! I’d love it if you still wanted to ask me questions regarding music and music study. I know a lot! I’ve spend 16 + years doing that and almost 30 years actually playing music. I won’t suddenly forget everything I’ve learned. I won’t mind sharing with you.
I will miss my students. Period.
But what I REALLY don’t want to miss are my kids!! I’ve only got one time with them! Audrey has 5 years left before she graduates. Ben needs me after school to decompress. Luke will need me after Kindergarten next year. I’ve not regretted the time I spent teaching, so don’t misunderstand me. I don’t wish to go back and not have taught when the kids were younger. However, junior high is altogether different. The activities are right after school versus at 5:00 or later when they are younger. I want to spend time being there and being ready for them.
Other things are up my sleeve, too. I won’t sit around suddenly and eat bon-bons and watch soap operas (though I’ll have to watch my blog-reading carefully.) Oh, no!
The Rosebud Exchange Program that our family participated in this last year by having Victoria live with us is expanding. This coming year we hope to have 20 kids be hosted!! That’s a tremendous amount and what is needed are some detail management and more support. That’s what our family is going to do. I’m so excited!
Also, I want to be available. When I was a young mom, with just little ones, I looked up to older moms for advice and encouragement. What I found was that so many stopped coming to Bible study because their kids were all in school and they could get a job. I missed them. Instead of them leading Bible studies, I was! Not that I couldn’t, but my hands were pretty full and I really could have used the wise council of them. I didn’t want that to be me. I’ve spent the last two years in a great women’s Bible study and I’m practically the oldest one there. I realized I am now the older mom! When looking at my time and energies, it came down to teaching was taking up the most time and that needed to fall below the line for now. I want to be there for those moms, for friends, for my sister when she has baby, for my family, for the other things God has in store for me to do.
I may sound all strong to you. Hah! I cry about every other day! In fact, I often have to pull Bill aside and ask him why I chose to stop teaching, what the big picture is again. I’m a little concerned that once next fall hits, I’ll kind of wander around the house, lost and wondering where I am, who I am, etc.
Funny story: A student’s younger sibling started Kindergarten one year and I asked her what her mom did all day now that the last child was in school. She told me that her mom went shopping a lot and had a big pretzel every day!! (I don’t think I’ll be doing that.)
He will lead me. I won’t be lost.
So, if you’ve got time Saturday morning, come hear my students play. I’m immensely proud of them!
I’m sorry to show this to you if you already saw it live, however, as a piano teacher, I must make comment on it.
Oh, to forget the words of our national anthem. On live tv. At the Super Bowl. And now on YouTube for the world to see over and over and over…Perhaps the only worse thing that could happen to a performer would to be forget them at at presidential inauguration!!
I will defend Miss Aguilera.
1) Have you ever sung the National Anthem by yourself in front of anyone, let alone a Super Bowl audience?
2) Did she show her mistake?
3) Did she sing off key?
4) Did her mistake show that she was lip-syncing or in any other way enhanced?
5) Could you sing, right now all the lyrics to the National Anthem ALOUD, and I don’t care if you do it by yourself, locked in your room (or in the bathroom where you will sound better) and get all the words right? Huh? Could’ya?!
6) Did her mistake prove in any other way that she was unprepared for her performance?
7) Are you or she perfect?
My piano studio is about ready to enter the recital season. They will play two pieces from memory in front of mom, dad, a couple of dragged along siblings, other random relatives and perhaps a few friends who may have just come for the cake. Despite the friendly audience, it is no less nerve-wracking. I, myself, sit there with shakes and jitters for them and pretty much break down after the last student is finished.
I am going to show them this video at their next group lesson. Christina Aguilera does a fantastic job of showing grace under pressure. Yep, she messed up, it happens to the best. In no way should one think that just because you are a famous whatever, you don’t get nervous and that your body won’t do something it never does. In fact, her entire performance, memory slip aside, shows her to be completely prepared. It was one of the better Super Bowl National Anthems I’ve seen in quite a while- well-intoned, entertaining but not overly done, with plenty of character to make it her own, not someone else’s. She sold it to the end. If she realized what she had done, she never let on! How many of us could do that?
I tell my students when they worry about making mistakes and others hearing it, that there are really a lot of things going for them.
1) Could the audience do what they are doing? No, they are the audience.
2) Who in the audience know their pieces? Who has lived it, breathed it, seen it in their dreams? Maybe Mom and Dad, but they’re not actually playing it.
3) Does the audience actually know the piece? Are they going to know when you made a mistake? Sometimes the answer is yes because the mistake is evident, but so many times the answer is actually no.
4) Who’s doing the playing, you or them? You! If they want to be overly critical, then they can get up there and do it!!
We talk about being prepared. There is nothing to replace the time you live and work through your music, or whatever you endeavor. You must work to be prepared. But just in case a mistake happens…
1) Don’t let it show. No contorted facial expression, no slumping body posture.
2) Find the next on ramp. Know where you can jump to in the music to go forward. Repeating the section usually will result in the same mistake being made.
3) Enhance other features- bring out the louds and softs or wonderful melody line to draw the audience to the shiny things.
4) Know the end of the piece. Seriously, you can mess up big portions, skipping over sections, but they will always remember the ending.
5) Always take a bow. You did it, for better or for worse. You did it! Receive your applause.
Did the Super Bowl performance match my advice? Yes. She’s going to have to live with the onslaught of criticism and, you bet, she’s going to wrestle with herself to the point of madness. The stakes are bigger the higher up the ladder you go. But if she’s the performer I think she is, she’s also going to learn from it. She’s going to take steps to ensure her preparedness even more. I hope Christina Aguilera comes out on top- she’s come too far to back away now.
As for the other Super Bowl performance- well, I’d just like to focus on the lessons learned from the aforementioned highly talented performer. Though, I thought Slash did great- he knows how to play his guitar. He must practice a lot with a girl draped over him.
