Reflections, Reading, and Recital

1. Reflections:

When I was in Elementary School I participated in the PTA Reflections Program. This program encourages children to participate in creating art in their choice of 6 different categories: Music Composition, Dance Choreography, Literature, Photography, Visual Art, and Film.

I remember I entered a story about a school girl who slapped her teacher's face and ran away, (don't remember why, but it is branded in my memory that that was an important part of my story,) and a painting of a puppy. Believe it or not, my story won 1st place at the school level and went on to the district level as well. I won a $50 savings bond at my school level and a $75 savings bond at the district level. So it turned out to be a good experience for me. (Who knew that slapping teachers faces would be received so well?)

Well, this past school year, I encouraged my children to participate in the Hubert Humphrey Reflections Program because it's a good experience. (And also because I got suckered into chairing the event), and Dallin took the challenge. He submitted one of the two Music Composition entries. Dallin entered a song he wrote entitled "The Monster," and was the only one in the pre-K-2nd grade division, so he won 1st place, and therefore his entry was sent on to be judged at the state level.

He felt so special to get his 1st place ribbon at our award ceremony (and thankfully he didn't realize he'd won by default.) So you can imagine his elation when we got a phone call informing us of his winning 1st place in his division for the whole state of New Mexico! He said, "No way, Mom! Does that mean I'm famous!?! Wait 'til Uncle Nathan hears about this!"

Well today, he got a certificate in the mail and a $10 gift card to Walmart, which he is very excited to spend. Way to go, Dallin!

Here is a recording of Dallin playing his composition. (the pictures are just random piano pictures that we have, to illustrate that it's Dallin playing it. Though his age at recording was slightly older than some of the pictures shown.)

It's exceptionally short, so enjoy all 20 seconds of, "The Monster."

2. Reading:

This past week, I finished reading Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. I suggested it for a book club that I attend. And I think I was the only person in the group who enjoyed it. I thought it was wonderful! The movie stinks, but I loved the book. I felt bad that no one else in the group liked it. In fact I started thinking that I must not have a very sophisticated taste in literature. Truthfully, my favorites tend to be written for children and young adults. I love Shannon Hale's The Goose Girl, and Princess Academy. I love Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings series. My kids and I are eating up C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. I enjoyed the Stephanie Meyers Twilight series and the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield. I like to curl up in bed at the end of the day and enjoy a little of the surreal. Nothing too heavy or hard to get through or very thought provoking. I guess I read for escape rather than enlightenment. And ya know what? For now, I like it that way. Maybe I'll want to be enlightened in a different phase of life.

3. Recital:

Today Dallin played in his 2nd piano recital. He played "The Caravan" and "The Magic Man." We were very proud of him, but he mentioned afterward that he could play it waaaay better when he was practicing than when people were listening. I told him, the same thing happens to me. I don't know what it is about performing but that extra pressure somehow trips your brain up. And that is one reason we have recitals, I guess. So our brains can have practice getting over that performance glitch.

Anyway, here is Dallin with his teacher Dillon. (If the piano looks familiar, it's because we had the recital at our house.) Dillon is a phenomenal pianist. I've included two video clips below: Dallin's song is first, (it's about a minute long) and the next one is the song Dillon played for us. Just wait, in a few years, Dallin will be wowing us all with his performances of Chopin too! (p.s. I love how Dallin gets out his books even though he could play both of his songs in his sleep.)

Dillon and his students who performed today: