Violin Fixed Up

My violin was sounding pretty terrible; long over-due for Peter Prier & Sons to take a look at it. It needed a bow rehair, sound post adjustment and shim, finger-board planing, new set of strings, a french polish (having the wood clean actually enhances the sound) and cosmetic repair to prevent further, more extensive damage. It was super expensive - just about doubled our family's Christmas budget. But my violin sounds so wonderful now and it was oh, so worth it. What a huge difference a little maintenance can do. A really great way to start out 2011!

My Violin - All Fixed Up!

Christmas Group Lesson

Monday, December 20, 2010

We had a special guest for our Christmas Group Lesson - my sister all the way from Hartford, Connecticut! She played a few selections from her upcoming recital for her Master's Degree at the Hartt School of Music. She also joined in on the group lesson fun and was reminded of all the wonderful foundational techniques the Suzuki Method started her out with; mentioning review, specifically, as one of the most important aspects of her Suzuki training.

2010 Fall Recital

This recital was full of fun non-Suzuki repertoire with lots of duets and small ensembles in addition to the Suzuki solos.





Student artwork displayed.

Pictures with my boys after the performance:

Celebration Concert

This wonderful celebration of the Suzuki method brings thousands of Suzuki students from all around the state of Utah. This concert presented at the Conference Center in SLC, which only happens every 3 years, includes all Suzuki instruments such as violin, viola, cello, piano, harp, guitar, voice, etc. The theme for this concert was "A Joyful Journey." Michael McLean (the violinist/composer from California, not the Utah pianist/composer) wrote the music for the finale. The parts were challenging to learn but rewarding to perform.


This is my group of attending students. It was a fun day and an enjoyable concert.

Studio Parent Meeting

My wonderful group of Suzuki parents!

I thoroughly enjoy this annual parent meeting each fall as we share our triumphs, our frustrations, our thoughts and support eachother in the process of helping children we love learn a difficult instrument.

Summer Student Party

3 days before I delivered my second baby, we had our student party as scheduled (I wasn't too sure if we'd have to reschedule this one!). We enjoyed a barbeque lunch on my deck and played games.

Fun Times!

2010 Spring Recital

This recital was short, but sweet. The weather could not have been more perfect for this annual spring-time occasion. It was a perfect day for a stroll in the park (after the recital, of course).


Lisa Miner, our Piano Accompanist (Thanking her with Chocolates!)


Yummy, Beautifully Presented Food
(Being very pregnant, this hearty snack hit the spot!)

Suzuki Graduation

Congratulations to all of my graduating students! Prior to the concert I helped with tuning and afterward I passed out certificates. Since I didn't lead a piece or have my child with me, I got to sit back and enjoy the performance. Although they play the same music every year (since the graduation levels never change), I still really enjoy the concert very much. I'm always impressed with the level of musicianship these young students attain - impressive!