It was 70 degrees outside this past Friday evening – something almost unheard of in Anchorage.  Instead of enjoying the sunshine, our family happily crammed into a narrow church pew at a local Baptist church.  Thirty-five little pianists (most under the age of 10) grew increasingly nervous as they sized up the impressive crowd of parents and grandparents, all armed with digital cameras and iPads.

It was show time:  Piano Recital 2014.

It took over two hours.

It was brutal.

Except for our children, of course…

Sam played Ripples and Thumper, both by Robert Vandall.  He says he “played through” a few mistakes, but my non-musical mother ears didn’t even notice.  In the second song he paused for a moment – he said his fingers were trembling so much he could hardly move!  He completely memorized both of his songs:

Maggie played  A Little Night Music by Mozart and Way Up High by Massoud.  She wasn’t anxious in the days or hours before the concert, but reality hit when she took a seat at the Baby Grand.  She flashed a nervous smile to the crowd and jiggled her right leg throughout the performance.  Still, she pulled it off and (mostly) memorized both of her songs:

I was proud of all the little musicians that night.  It takes guts to play in front of a big crowd, especially when your feet can barely reach the pedals.  I was happy to applaud every child, and grateful for the families who stayed to clap for our kids too.

The sound of the piano in our home gives me great joy.  I’m so grateful that our children are learning- and loving- the language of music!