Ben and West did Piano Guild on Monday. One could tell from their performance that they’d been learning jazz piano for some time now. They play memorized pieces (Ben 15 and West 10) in front of a judge who gives them a point for each musical element they do well (aspects of rhythm, phrasing, dynamic, pedalling, etc). Until you reach a certain level there are some checkmarks you won’t get just because your pieces don’t incorporate those things. Anyway they both got the highest marks they’ve had for guild (this is their tenth year doing it).
Ben played the piano accompaniment for a friend in her cello recital on Sunday. That went very well and it was interesting to go to a cello recital – something we wouldn’t usually be at! It turned out I knew four families there (three from when I went to church, one from other shared activities, mostly musical) which was a nice surprise. After being at lots of violin recitals cellos sound very loud and resonant. The youngest student sat there poised ready with his bow on the string for a few minutes while the accompanist got ready. It was very cute.
This morning it’s the school Tribute to Excellence where all students who have won any awards during the year are honored for it. Ben and West both get an award for qualifying for IMEA (the district orchestra festival). Ben also gets a string of awards for math contests (four I think?) and West gets a village human relations award. We’re not quite sure what that is but if we don’t find out this morning we’ll find out when the village presents it to her in a couple of weeks.
Like last year Ben and another student from his grade are playing the background piano music during the Tribute to Excellence. The school likes to have someone play while everyone gathers in the auditorium and then when students from each grade are assembling in a line to get their awards.