Superior Pianists in Da House!

Whilst I was away in Boston (patience, kittens--a post on that trip is a-comin' soon!), Abigail and Suzanna performed in their first-ever piano festival, just as my sisters and I used to do as kids. They each prepared two piano solos to perform from memory, spending the past several weeks working on their festival pieces with their wonderful piano teacher, Mrs. Vold. On Saturday, March 8, they performed for judges at southwest ND's site (Dickinson State University) for the ND Federation of Music Clubs Festival.

I remember well this annual event from my own childhood. Mrs. Davis, the wonderful piano teacher whom my sisters and I were blessed to have, assigned us "festival pieces" to memorize and perfect in time for our regional festival in Williston (held usually at Williston State College but some years at a church instead). We would dress up and go, nervous on the entire drive to Williston. We would spend the whole day on-site, and Mom would accompany each child at his or her appointed performance time and then wait with us for the results to be posted. A "superior" rating was the highest available, worth five points--and for every 15 points earned, a pianist got a brass trophy, each one larger than the last. In my 11 years of piano lessons, I earned over 45 points, and those three trophies sit atop our piano today!

Because I wasn't present for our daughters' own festival, Susan e-mailed me the results to read while I was in Boston: "superior" ratings for both Suzanna and Abigail!! Suzanna said the day was nerve-wracking, and Abigail said she was nervous; but they both were happy with the results and thought it was fun in retrospect. Susan treated them afterward with dinner out at one of our favorite restaurants, Sanford's. Here are highlights from the judges' comments (the exclamation points are the judges', not mine):

Abigail
"A Merry March"

• "notes and rhythms excellent!"
• "staccatos were crisp and light -- great!"
• "wonderful!"

"Katie Cricket"

• "wonderful dynamics! wow!"
• "crisp and clean staccatos!"
• "excellent memory work!"
• "tempo just right!"
• "your release at the end was awesome!"
• "you played with such confidence and knew your pieces so well! hurray!"

Suzanna
"Told You So"

• "love the solid beginning!"
• "excellent memory work!"
• "release at end just right!"
• "tempo fit perfectly"
• "such wonderful, confident playing! way to go!"

"Open Seas"

• "posture and hand positions -- excellent!"
• "love the dynamic contrasts -- super!"
• "love the releases to your phrases!"
• "keep up the totally awesome playing!"

Another official (who has seen the girls at church where she, too, is a member) added these comments to the judges' comment sheets:

• "you look so lovely!"
• "thank you for the bow!"
• "thank your parents and teacher for their help and support!"