Trophy Festival

Andrew participated in the AAA Trophy Festival last weekend. Good news at this festival is everyone gets a trophy. You get either an A, an AA or an AAA. The triple A is the highest level.

Andrew did really well. He gave me permission to go in and listen while he played. We were at a church and he played in the sanctuary on the 8-9 foot concert grand piano. What a beautiful piano and its sound was something else. I was so impressed by his use of dynamics (the loud and soft of it) and his steady tempo (the beat). He did everything his teacher has been hounding him about.

Apparently, the judge agreed with me. Before he played, she asked him if he likes to play the piano and he gave her a very firm YES! When he was done and she gave him his slip with his score, she told him, "Whatever you do--DON'T quit playing." He got a Triple A and a new trophy for the mostly full shelves. As we were leaving, she whispered to me, "He did fantastic." Thank you, I agree!

Congratulations, Andrew!

All the hard work and practice really does pay off!!

Now we have to keep going strong for two more weeks on these pieces until the district music festival. If he receives a superior rating on his performance AND gets an A on the theory test, he will be invited to the State Music Festival again this fall. We're studying the theory. The practice test this weekend pointed out some weak points that need refreshing in our memory. The Trophy Fest theory test is about a 10 minute affair. Andrew managed to get the practice District Test done in 35 minutes. We plan 45 minutes to 1 hour. Yes, it's THAT difficult.