Fiddle Concert 2012

On Thursday, August 9, Michelle had a fiddle concert in the park. She practiced hard all summer to learn new fiddle songs and to review songs she learned last year. The concert was great! She really did a good job. (However, she concentrates so hard that she kind of scowls as she plays. The students have to memorize each piece they play in the concert. It's a wonderful but challenging requirement.)

Before the concert started, Mrs. Montgomery had all of the students gather to take pictures...serious/smiling ones and silly and fun ones.

This year Michelle played nine songs: Bile Them Cabbage Down, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Cripple Creek, Orange Blossom Special, Little Brown Jug, Old Joe Clark, Camptown Races, Old MacDonald, and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Next year I'm sure she will be ready to play at least 5 more. Several others she could play this year but didn't get totally memorized. She was a bit disappointed, but I think she is doing a great job considering she's only taken lessons for a year and a half. I'm so proud of her and her hard work. My uncle Phil came to the fiddle concert and he was very impressed also. The students really are quite amazing and talented, and Linda (Mrs. Montgomery) is a remarkable teacher. Patient, kind but with high expectations.

Along with the fiddling, Mrs. Montgomery uses the Suzuki method to teach them violin. I love this quote from Dr. Shinichi Suzuki, "Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens. If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.” He also said, "When one lives by the principle of serving the hearts of others and learns to live for other people, one can enjoy a life of light, without discored, in harmony with others, and walk through life in pure joy. Similarly, the ultimate goal of music education, as well as the secret of violin playing, is to guide others away from the world of self-centeredness to that of loving hearts in the service of others." Wow! That is a philosophy I agree with and love to have my children exposed to.