I've got my work cut out for me this year. Miss S, my children's violin teacher, has high aspirations for my children this year. Besides the standard recitals, they will be entering into different competitions again.


First, there is Baby Girl's new music to perform in the spring competition. She will be performing Song of the Wind, from Suzuki Violin Book 1, which is a piece she is already very familiar with, but will polish up to the hilt in time for the audition in February. The other piece she will play that day will be a Hungarian Folk Tune, Allegro, by Bella Bartok. Again, she is not finding the piece difficult to memorize, but the challenge is to play it cleanly, nicely, and at the proper tempo.



Next, there is Little Son's music for two different competitions, one for solo and one for concerto, and two different pieces for the all boys' piano trio this year. For the solo competition in the spring, he will be playing Theme and Variations transcribed for the violin, by Guido Papini, and some piece by Beethoven that I don't know the name of because Miss S. provided the music out of a Russian music book - LOL! Anyway, these satisfy the Elementary Level 3 requirements of the competition.


Also, for two different Concerto competitions, he is learning Violin Concerto No. 2, op. 13, first movement, by Friedrich Seitz. Little Son is enthusiastically embracing all these new pieces, as new music definitely rejuvenates his interest (his interest never really wanes all that much anyway.)


Little Son is also playing with a boys' piano trio. He, at age 8, plays violin, a 9 year old boy plays cello, and a 10 year old boy plays piano. They are so cute playing together. Last spring when they performed for a judge, the judge asked them one question at the end: Are you all brothers? Well, they all got a big kick out of that, especially as they are of three different nationalities. But I think they are all adorable (don't tell them I said so!) Anyhow, they are performing their pieces at Elementary Level 2, and they will be: Sonatina in G, moderato, by L. van Beethoven; and Kindertrio in G, op. 35, no. 2, Allegro movement, by Julius Klengel.



So, when I reminded our dear violin teacher that we will miss the next two Monday lessons, due to vacation, she asked where we were going and I told her we would be camping up in Georgia..... which resulted in a faint smile, and the question "You are bringing your violins with you?"

"Why of course, Miss S!...." was my immediate reply.



"...Because, of course, you know, three weeks without lessons and they will forget everything", she politely reminded me in her lovely Russian accent.



So, our kids will be entertaining the other campers for 11 days. Should be interesting! Can I fit two violins, a music stand, and all that music in the van?



Do I have a choice?