Sophia says that she is going to blog about her recital, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Swimming, knitting and playing seem to be taking the top spots in her brain right now, which is only fitting for summer. Except for the knitting one. That one escapes me.
Since she's not posting about it, I'm going to tell you my perspective on her debut as a violinist.
Background: She refused to perform in the fall recital, as she had only been playing for a month. She was too anxious to get up there and perform "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," which is what she was working on at the time. I told her that she could not quit violin until she had performed in a recital. My reasoning was that I was pretty sure she'd quit just so she didn't have to ever perform. She's an enigma, this one. She says that she wants to be a performer when she grows up. She loves to regale strangers and friends with tales of her exploits. Yet the idea of performing in front of an audience was causing her extreme distress.
She chose her recital song, "Allegro," a month before the show. She chose it because she had already mastered it. However, as soon as she declared it as her recital piece, her grip on the song loosened. Every time she tried to play it, the notes came out too quickly, too slowly or generally unpleasantly. I wasn't worried. I just figured if she performed and got a good response from her family, then all would be fine.
The day of the recital, she appeared as a vision in white. Just elegant and sweet. When it was her turn, she strode to the front, placed her bow on her violin and played the song more beautifully than I knew it was possible for a 7-year-old to play "Allegro." Honestly, while I videoed it, I held my breath just waiting for the rogue sour note to derail her. It never came. She was amazing.
I was so proud of her. Not for playing perfectly. I was proud of her bravery and her poise. She's amazing. Her ability to perform under pressure just made me realize again the strength of her determination. She has a very strong will. I can't wait to see where the path that it clears takes her.
Since she's not posting about it, I'm going to tell you my perspective on her debut as a violinist.
Background: She refused to perform in the fall recital, as she had only been playing for a month. She was too anxious to get up there and perform "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," which is what she was working on at the time. I told her that she could not quit violin until she had performed in a recital. My reasoning was that I was pretty sure she'd quit just so she didn't have to ever perform. She's an enigma, this one. She says that she wants to be a performer when she grows up. She loves to regale strangers and friends with tales of her exploits. Yet the idea of performing in front of an audience was causing her extreme distress.
She chose her recital song, "Allegro," a month before the show. She chose it because she had already mastered it. However, as soon as she declared it as her recital piece, her grip on the song loosened. Every time she tried to play it, the notes came out too quickly, too slowly or generally unpleasantly. I wasn't worried. I just figured if she performed and got a good response from her family, then all would be fine.
The day of the recital, she appeared as a vision in white. Just elegant and sweet. When it was her turn, she strode to the front, placed her bow on her violin and played the song more beautifully than I knew it was possible for a 7-year-old to play "Allegro." Honestly, while I videoed it, I held my breath just waiting for the rogue sour note to derail her. It never came. She was amazing.
I was so proud of her. Not for playing perfectly. I was proud of her bravery and her poise. She's amazing. Her ability to perform under pressure just made me realize again the strength of her determination. She has a very strong will. I can't wait to see where the path that it clears takes her.
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