Solo Ensemble / Duo Afternoon

Deb has had a busy year. She's been playing flute in the orchestra, she joined the Track Team, and she's been hanging out with a boy. (Don't worry ... she has two big brothers and a Dad to watch over her.)

Today was her Solo / Ensemble Adjudication, where groups of orchestral students gather together in duos or trios to play pieces in front of judges and get some feedback on how well they're doing. She and another girl are playing a flute duet, with piano accompaniment provided by her mother.

Cheryl volunteered to play piano for several of the solo/ensemble groups, to provide harmonious accompaniment (or, in some cases, melodious accompaniment) for their musical selections. Which means, of course, that she's been getting together with multiple groups over the past few weeks so that they can practice. Including Deb and her fellow flutist. Makes for a bit of a busy schedule lately!

Today is the culmination of all those activities. Hundreds of eager young musicians gathered at a school way out in the country to play and be judged, to get feedback from musical professionals, and to sit around and get incredibly nervous.

Cheryl left a bit early this morning (with Deb) to pick up one of the other soloists and head on down to the school so they could warm up in one of the Practice Rooms. I joined them a bit later and was able to listen to them warm up. They sounded very good to me! But, then, I may be a bit prejudiced.

I wasn't the only "guest" to show up, either. A few minutes after my arrival, Deb's best friend in the whole world surprised her by showing up - along with the boy.

So when it came time, we all traipsed across the hall into the Performance Room and sat down and listened to Deb and her fellow flutist - and their marvelous accompanist! - play their piece; and then we listened some more as the adjudicator complimented them on their performance, and gave them some helpful commentary. And then we all traipsed back to the Practice Room.

Fifteen minutes later, the room host (who is there to help guide the students between the Practice Rooms and the Examination Rooms, and back again) brought in their score cards. They'd both scored 1's! Which is apparently the highest marks they can get! Yay! Celebration time! So they went down the hall and traded in their score cards for these cool little medals with blue (or was it purple?) ribbons.

Mission accomplished!

Then I took all the kids down to the cafeteria and treated them to pizza and sodas. And candy. Because I am Dad, and that is what Dads do.

Meanwhile, Cheryl went off to another Practice Room to play piano accompaniment for several other soloists / duets.

And after the kids were full of greasy pizza and bubbly soda, I took them (except the fellow flutist, who had come with someone else) back to our house, after which time they all took a walk down to the elementary school to throw frisbees or kick the soccer ball or something like that, while I worked quietly in my little garage shop.

Cheryl returned later that afternoon, after she had finished all her piano accompanimenting and the entire Adjudication event was done.

When the kids returned from their little adventure, they grabbed some snacks and sat on the couch and watched the 1983 movie version of "The Pirates of Penzance" starring Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith, Angela Lansbury, Tony Azito and some guy named Kevin Kline.

Deb and the boy actually sat next to each other on the couch. But don't worry -- Mom and Dad were both watching!

And finally, after a long, hard day of boy-watching, I was relieved by Deb's best friend's parents, who came to take them away. Her best friend and the boy, I mean. Not Deb. She had to stay with us.

And we had to put up with that silly grin on her face all night.

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Postscript:

Cheryl had an interesting story about her afternoon adventures back at the Adjudication. Apparently a woman took a misstep on some steps while taking a picture of her kid, and she broke her ankle. Cheryl just happened to be nearby, so she helped administer some first aid, and treated her for shock. That's my awesome wife!