Suzuki Violin

It’s been a musical weekend! On Saturday, I went with a group of friends to the dress rehearsal of the San Luis Obispo Symphony. The featured violinist was David Kim, a man who I had the pleasure of hearing a couple of years ago. I appreciate the emotion and technique he brings to the pieces he plays, but more than that, I admire the fact that he spends some of his time visiting numerous schools near his home in Philadelphia bringing classical music to children. He is a Christian and a former Suzuki student who gives of himself to benefit others.

On Sunday, I attended (and played piano for) another concert with many Christian Suzuki students who haven’t been playing quite as long as David Kim. The young violinists were students of my daughter, Melissa, who has been investing her life in the lives of young children for over seven years by teaching Suzuki violin lessons. Some of the students were very young and played tiny violins. Others had been playing for several years and were mastering more complex pieces. Parents smiled and snapped photos, and I think that we all knew that more was happening than just songs being played by children. We were watching children grow and blossom. They had been given the gift of music by their parents and teacher, and now they were giving of themselves by sharing their music with us.

Shops, Stores and Balls

I was talking to a friend not long ago, and she said something that I’ve pondered over for the last few weeks. She asked how the Civil War Balls were going, and then she said, “I’m so glad that you are offering the Balls. We haven’t been in a long time, but it’s nice to know they are there in case we want to go sometime.”

Her comment got me thinking about all the local shops and stores that I have liked that have gone out of business recently. Most of them have been places that I have rarely frequented such as a cute antique store in Cambria or a specialty paper store in Atascadero, but I was sorry when they were gone. It made me wonder if, in some small way, I might have helped these shops that I enjoyed stay in business had I frequented them more often. Maybe if I had told my friends how much I enjoyed shopping there and how I always found just what I was looking for, they would have purchased things there too.

I guess what is true for the local shops is true for the Balls as well. If everyone had the attitude that the Balls would continue whether or not they attended them, they would probably find that another activity they enjoyed was no longer available. My hope is that the Balls are valuable enough that people will continue to make the effort to attend and invite their friends because they always find just what they are looking for.

Too Young To Marry

I enjoy many of the aspects of being a dance teacher and caller, but one of the best parts is all the fun I get to have working with student musicians. When we have live music events, our gentleman’s trio Liberty Hill carries the bulk of the responsibilities to learn the songs and play them. But we have so many musically talented students that attend our events that I delight in giving them an opportunity to share their gifts as well.

At our October Ball, we had our men’s trio play, and in addition, we had nine other student musicians. Three of the young ladies who played have formed a group called Too Young To Marry. They have learned many of the Civil War Era songs, and they are able to play for other private events with me like one we did out in Edna Valley last summer and the Hoe Down that we did this month. But not only are they gifted musicians who play a large range of Celtic, dance and folk music, but they are also phenomenal vocalists who sing many gorgeous accapella songs.

Another one of my passions is photography. I’ve had the opportunity to do photo shoots for several local music groups, so it was fun to take the girls from Too Young To Marry and do a photo shoot with them.

Too Young To Marry is available to play for private events. Email me at heritagedanceevents@gmail.com for more information.