My turn...

You might remember this...Kendra's first piano recital back in March:

Well, this time it was my turn:

I have been preparing for this recital since, oh, I don't know, FOREVER.  I played Moon River, which I just loved, and when I was given choices for my piece I thought of my grandmother who would have loved to hear me play it. 

Here's the thing.  Miss Connie, my teacher, has something like 50 students.  Only three are adults.  This concert was for her ADVANCED students and her adults.  I have only been playing for a year, and I have very limited practice time due to my job and other responsibilities.   I was intimidated that my vastly inexperienced self would be playing on the same night as the young adults who have been playing for 10 years! 

A note about me:  I'm a teacher.  I'm the primary chorister in my church.  I can give talks at church without batting an eyelash, and I am often called upon to be the speaker/leader in meetings, etc.  I also have sung in choirs many times, and even once sang in a production in which I sang on stage completely by myself.  I do not have a problem with being "on stage" in all of those capacities.  I rarely get nervous.  However, playing piano in front of people is a whole different ball game!  It has to do with my confidence level:  I don't have ANY with piano.   This particular piece was HARD for me.  I practiced and practiced but I never felt like I mastered it.  So this concert was a real challenge for me.

 But I did it anyway.  I was ok at the beginning of my song, but then the nerves kicked in.  Funny enough, it was my leg that bothered me most.  My pedal leg started shaking like nuts.  That made me realize how nervous I was, and then my hands started shaking.  All that shaking rattled my brain, too.  I wondered who was noticing my quivering leg!  I did ok, but I made more mistakes than I had in a long time.

 All of these lovely ladies are related to my dear Ballards, and hence have folded me into their families as well.  All of these girls are advanced students and played brilliantly.  Grandma Karen is one of the other adults that Connie teaches, and she did fantastic!  I hope in 10 years I'll play as well as those girls do.  Miss Connie is on the end.  She's been teaching piano for 50 years! 

 Here is me with my number one cheerleader.  She told me how great I was about 300 times.  Who doesn't want to try again with someone like her backing you up?  BTW:  isn't that a lovely piano?  Note to self:  next time wear a smaller heel, though.  My knees were smacked up to the bottom side of that piano! 

My dear friend Sherry got me these flowers.  She told me that she was very proud of me and that she couldn't have gotten up there to do that.  It may not have been the best performance, but I am proud of myself for doing it.

Not sure if I'm signing up for that again, though!!!  :-)