Advent Activity: Piano Performance

Yesterday, the kids participated in a concert at a local nursing home, organized by our piano teacher.  Sis played "Good King Wenceslas" and "Good Night, Ladies," while Bud played "Linus and Lucy."  They did well and seemed to enjoy it.  I know the residents did--lots of clapping and thanking them afterwards.  I'm glad the kids have the chance to share their talents.  And I'm proud that they do.

Our Austen Evening

On Sunday afternoon, our piano club, newly christened a "piano society," met at a friend's house. For a few hours on that chilly, windy afternoon, we sat inside listening to our children of all levels play a variety of piano pieces--popular ("Let it Go," "Walking on Sunshine," "Red and Black," "Secrets," Coldplay), classical (two different "Carol of the Bells), folk ("Old Susannah"), jazz.  And all I could think of was Jane Austen. That somehow in that afternoon twilight of the first day of the time change, when the day ends before you're ready, I was transported to another era when people sat around playing and listening to music.  (It helped that there was a lovely antique cross stitch in black silhouette of a woman playing piano.) Sure, we were recording some of it with our digital phones and the pieces were not Regency, but no one was surfing online, no kids were playing video games, there was no tv on.  All the music was real and live, not MP3.  And I was so grateful that we had come together to give each other this gift.  So I even did my part and played mediocre renditions of "All Through the Night" and "When the Saints Go Marching In."