The Suzuki Chronicles: Day 3

Aaah. Much more relaxing morning this morning. I slept well, except for a monstrous leg cramp in the night. Solved that by drinking a glass and a half of chocolate milk today at meals. :P Breakfast was very yummy: tater tots, bacon, and mandarin oranges. Sat with my roommate Carrie. We usually eat our meals together.

Right after breakfast I shot right back to my dorms as I was to observe a parent lecture in the dorms lounge. It was led by a Scottish lady from Peru (???), a FUN guy who looks like a duck, and a Chinese girl who said she was the world's worst practicer. (Um, nope. I am.) Anyway, I took lots of notes mainly because I had to, but a few things stuck out to me, such as the importance of raising children in a musical environment. For as long as I can remember, I've been hearing music. Good music. And now look at us. All of us playing or singing something. :P Listening to stuff. Also, Mr. Holmes (the duck guy) gave a deep thought: "Even if our children never go into music professionally, music is a great thing to have had them do." And it's true. I know in my own life. Even if I never ended up using music very much, the character that I've had to learn through various performances or practices is something that should always be cultivated and remembered.

After the lecture, I walked across the street to observe a pre-twinkle lesson taught by my teacher to four students. (I will be observing these four the entire week to notice progress.) All of them are adorable. Two are twin boys, one is a TINY girl named Demi who loves her foot chart, and the last is Elizabeth, a girl who dances to Goody Goody Gumdrop and who loves to control her mother. :P It was interesting to notice progress in all four since yesterday.

I stayed in that room for an hour of class. During this time, we were returned our 4 observation sheets and we turned in some more. Several of the class also gave their presentations.

More walking to yet another observation - the last one before lunch! (And believe me, that's what was on my mind for those 50 minutes!! :P) Watched another 4 students be taught by a different teacher, this time Ann Smelser. She's the typical Suzuki-looking person: perfect white teeth, perfect dress/jewelry combination, perfect little brown/red curled under hair, hip glasses, etc. etc. etc. Brought back memories of my Miss Betsy...*sniff sniff* Okay I'm over it. Anyway, she used a lot more "fluff" in her teaching than Mrs. George did. Interesting to take notes on a different teaching style.

LUNCH AND BATHROOM TIME! YAY! GLORIOUSNESS! I AM HAPPY ONCE AGAIN BECAUSE THERE IS FOOD IN THE WORLD AND IN MY TUMMY! That's really how I felt inside, although I was way too tired to express it outwardly. (Good thing, huh? :P) Lunch was grilled ham and cheese, taco casserole, fries, and choc. chip cookies. :P Random meal, but it was good and full of protein, so I didn't complain.

Right after lunch I went to a recital of numerous students who had been chosen from auditions to perform. Two really, really stuck out to me. One was a pianist who played the NEATEST piece ever. I have to look it up sometime and try to learn it. "Toccata" or something. Then a violist guy played a Bach piece a capella, and it was SO nice. I just sat there soaking it up. It was delicious almost, like Pepsi on a hot sweaty day. (Poetic? Maybe?) So yeah. Took lots of notes again.

The penultimate event of the day was the required, every-day-of-the-week 3-hour class session with our teacher. During this time, we played a little, but most of it was doing the various actions while singing Twinkle along with the CD playing. Some of it was awkward, like shaking hands with a partner, or getting dots drawn on your fingers by, ahem, Joel who is always on my right. We WOULD be the only two without partners on that one. Anyway, I'm moving right along with observations. I should be done on Thursday. We'll see.

Last, but certainly not least, I went to a concert tonight at 7 o'clock. The Corigliano Quartet played three pieces for us. My favorite was the two movements of Beethoven's "The Harp" quartet. (Rhapsody Strings? Someday...) The quartet is comprised of two sisters and a couple. After the concert I got all four to sign my program. Just for fun, you know. :) Elisa, the first violinist, zipped my pen into her case. MY PEN WAS IN HER CASE FOR ALMOST 2 MINUTES!! :P It's the little things in life... Anyway, that's how my day was.

And now I'm in my room listening to the other two roommates talk and talk and I can't shut our door cause it'd be so obviously rude, so I just sit. And wonder where Carrie is. And eat my Salerno butter cookies. And think about sleep. Sorry this is so disgustingly long. This is what all-day offline-ness does to you. Fill you in tomorrow. :P