i remember going to the Kiwanis music festival when i was a little girl - it was such a different atmosphere to play or sing in - at home it was all family, a few mistakes weren't a big deal - if we were singing at a church function or wedding, we'd usually do a few songs, so we'd have time to redeem ourselves, and besides, in both cases they were songs we'd chosen, and knew well...
At Kiwanis, we'd get our song in advance and learn it, and it was always a strange change from what we would have picked...
At this arts festival, though, we got to pick our own poems to recite and music to play - the littles did their poetry recitation at the arts festival on
wednesday - we were a little late, i grabbed baby out of her crib, into the
carseat and into the church where it was held - but today was the
fiddle/family music one - Haven did a fiddle solo, and then we did a
family song with Wyatt and Haven on fiddles, Luther and Silas and me singing
with them, and I played piano - A nice lady at the back held baby Mielle who had just woken up as we started to get ready to play, and the two littles sat nicely on the stage and were *good* (yay!)
it was kind of trying, just going in with seven children. they were VERY quiet, we sat in the back, but the people in the row ahead of us did all but punch us all in the head - none of mine was loud, there was some shuffling, but i think it was just the fact that there were now EIGHT people sitting behind them... argh. i get frustrated by people like that - who don't realize that they are making more noise than any *one* of my children - they should go sit in the front (and they did move - i said "i'm sorry - we're sitting as far back as we can"... and they got the hint)
anyway, Wyatt took some of the littles to the unheated basement to play while we waited for Haven's solo, then i ran down and brought them all up for the family music - i couldn't leave Anaia and Ulysses down there alone (they are 3 and 2), baby was still sleeping - so i was glad when they were good and just sat quietly for the music.
the adjudicator had good things to say about pitch, rhythm, feel, but would have liked to see more smiling :) - which i know is what i heard every year when i was little too - and a little more volume. Usually Luther (5) really belts it out, but he wasn't very loud (and there were no mics, so they *needed* to sing louder) - i was pleased that Wyatt got that, though - he's 12 and had a little solo to sing and he really sang out nice and loud in his teenager boy voice :) - we did Take My Life and Let it Be (a new arrangement by Chris Tomlin that's a different rhythm but same lyrics) - I loved the adjudicating bcz it gave me an idea of things to work with, with them - volume, communication - anyway they got first class honors for the family music, and Haven got first class honors for her solo, too - she did great under pressure! I remember making mistakes from being nervous, but she played a little faster and a little more accurately than she had in practice - go figure!? Anyway, they were very happy with how they did and the adjudication, and getting ribbons :)... and their dad came right at the beginning of the family music piece, so that was a nice surprise for them (the school he teaches at is only a block and a half away)...
tonight we'll get them some treats :) It was our FIRST time in the arts festival - and so far the consensus is that everyone wants to do poetry again next year (Anaia was very put out that she didn't get to do her poem, and after watching the three oldest, Luther would have liked to do his, too) , and i think i will be able to coax them to do another family piece, and Haven for sure will play again next year... she's really improved a lot since Christmas even - it was nice to hear her, and hear some of the other students that i had heard at our teacher's Christmas concert. It is mostly her own work, too, as i cancelled some lessons around when Mielle was due, and i hadn't been practicing with her too much, mostly she would go get her fiddle or mandolin and play - i'm glad she really enjoys it... It was a nice introduction to *juried* music for them, i think...
In other news at my house, i was interviewed twice Wednesday for the paper -
once about being a mom with seven children (for the mother's day issue?) -
and then about the homebirth... hm... i'm a little scared about making
dh look weird :) - but the reporters were really nice - came back this
morning to take individual pictures of all the children looking in different
directions to do a "Brady Bunch" type thing - i hope it turns out :) -
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• May. 4, 2008 - WOW!
Jennifer from
http://www.quiverfullfamily.com/blog