PianoFest 2011

It's a dichotomy...  I am having trouble fathoming how very polar the talents of children are. 

Ellis Montessori is a good school, and over a quarter of the children are in the gifted program.  It's a magnet school, which means the kids are there because the parents are involved and interested.  Yet, when I see the semi-annual musical concerts there, it sounds...well, a bit like kids are stereotypically expected to sound.  You listen and try to smile patiently and encouragingly.  After all, we all have to start at the beginning, right?

So, this is what I'm used to.  I've worked a lot with my own kids, and they seem quite the musicians to me, from this perspective.

However, at the PianoFest, it's like a whole different world.  The children are all like small piano masters.  Afterwards, Fiona said, in tears, "They made me feel like an amateur!"  The small girl who was 1st runner-up for elementary school looked about five years old.  She sat in her pink, frilly dress at that huge grand piano and played exquisitely.  Later, I found out that she was eight years old, which made me feel marginally better...

Anyhow, it was a good experience for the kids to play for the judges.  We had a bit of a learning curve with poor Alex.  I was unaware that he was expected to memorize his music, and he was extremely disconcerted when the judge wouldn't hand back his music!  He made it through one selection, but the next was a mess until the judge relented and gave it back.  How awful for Alex! 

Fiona happened to have memorized her pieces already, thankfully.  She did actually receive an 'award', of sorts.  I'm unclear whether she was second-runner up or simply honorable mention.  I believe all of the elementary students who participated received at least 'honorable mention', though.  

The children both received participation certificates, and the judges were extremely supportive and kind on their evaluations.  They were both chided a bit on keeping their tempos consistent, so I'm afraid we may have to finally break out the metronome!  (So, good feedback for me as well!  While I knew the tempo issue, they've fought against the metronome.  Now I have backup!) 

The keynote guest gave a concert the night before, which Alex and I attended (while Michael and Fiona were boogie-ing at the daddy-daughter dance).  Alex was first loathe to go, being all 'concerted out', but then he changed his tune upon seeing the speed-demon pianist at work!  He left saying, "I want to be like HIM when I grow up!"  Always practical, he quickly caught himself and modified his wish with, "Well, play piano like him, anyway!"