Camerata in Dallas

Here’s another orchestra photo dump. The first is from Concert Assessment and the rest are from the Dallas trip. I made a slideshow for the banquet but wanted some highlights posted here for Quincy to look back on and remember. 

Highlights: 

Steve the driver! “Steve. Steve. Steve. Steve” 

Medieval Times

Hotel pool swimming, chicken fights, Luke’s backflip, and Cesars “backflip”. 

Glow sticks and Slurpees

In n out, Bread zeppelin, CFA

Surprise private party at the best Mexican restaurant

Seniors I heart Jesse Collet tees

First place at Director’s Choice in Dallas and coming home with 3 trophies 

Dallas Zoo

Dallas Symphony

Perot Science Museum

Reunion Tower —special shout-out to Chloe for getting terrified Quincy into the elevator. An act of true friendship. 

The friendly giraffes

Denver’s nails

Buc-ees! 

Pirate king yarrrr! 

Jasna gets a microphone

The honey butter croissants at Cheddars scratch kitchen 

Millie, Lily, and Q have their first sleepover. 

Quincy’s Cello Peeps

I grabbed a pic of these cute orchestra peeps after an evening rehearsal and performance recording the other night. L-R Millie, Lily, Lance, and Q 

Quincy’s 8th Grade Winter Orchestra Concert

8th grade orchestra making it work! Quincy is my only student who opted for brick & mortar schooling over virtual or home school this year, and this right here is her why. Tonight was her concert and tomorrow she submits recordings for all-region. Thank you for the 🎵, Quincy! You sounded great, tonight! 

Back in the Studio

 Quincy’s wonderful cello instructor is back in the studio for lessons. Corbin began private lessons last week, as well.  It felt so normal to sit outside the lesson room and hear the takka-takka-stop-stop “stop and go twinkles” and Boccherini’s Minuet floating through the air.  Corbin is learning to hold his bow and my Quincy girl is working hard to advance out of Suzuki book 3. She mastered Scherzo by Webster (my favorite! I hope she keeps it polished as a performance piece) over the summer and still has Minuet to go.  Sizing up in instruments is always a little challenge and she is very sensitive to make sure she always plays in tune. I think that even though this desire for perfectionism has “slowed” her book advancement, it is what dedicated musicians are made of.  All the work she is putting into precise fingering of scales on her bigger instrument will serve her in the long run. As the parent, I know she’s itching to move along through her books even faster, but I’m quite grateful for her lively sound. It is so easy on the ears to listen to a cellist who plays in tune.  Quincy, some day you will read this as a  much more advanced Suzuki student.  Know that today, I could listen to you play that cello all day long, because even though you are tired of the pieces from book 3, you sound very good. 

(Notice the crocs on all of us. Our feet are all so happy, we don’t even care anymore. Our real shoes think we died. Whatever. Our real shoes should have been nicer to our feet.) 

Stringfest 2020 and Quincy is 2nd Chair!

Stringfest was virtual this year. Quincy was assigned to perform with the rest of the 8th graders in the district. Unfortunately, someone accidentally tripped and stepped on her cello at school today and busted the bridge and strings right off her cello. I’m taking it into the shop tomorrow to be doctored up. Q was a good sport and performed on Corbin’s little 1/2 size cello, tonight.   

Quincy has been working hard in orchestra and recently earned the title of 2nd chair cello! She has also been working on a duet with her friend/classmate, Mille during priority every day for the past two weeks. Her orchestra teacher texted me that she will send a video when they perform it for the class and added “Quincy is on fire!” 

Way to go, Q! Hopefully I can get our girl on fire a replacement instrument quickly!  Here she is tonight in the loft, performing her Suzuki pieces via Google Classroom for the incoming orchestra kids in the school district. She adjusted back to a smaller size pretty quickly and sounded great considering the circumstances!