The Blind Side

Muffin and I finally Netflixed The Blind Side, which I had been wanting to see since before it was released in theaters.  After all the reviews, interviews, awards, articles, and other news coverage of the actors and the real Tuohy family I thought there would be nothing left to say. However,  ahem, I shall write some comments.

I found no evidence of Hollywood exploitation of either the Tuohys or of Michael Oher. That in itself is surprising and refreshing. Implications of his difficult early life were made without actually divulging his most hurtful circumstances.  Evidence of the Tuohys kindness, love, and tenderness toward Michael was obvious without that becoming the focus of the film. It was, in a word, balanced. My understanding is that if all parties are correctly quoted they would give God more glory than He received in the film version of this story, but He is getting glory.  Each member of the family, and Michael, grew and matured as a result of those relationships.  Thank you cast, writers, producers and directors for balance in telling a worthy story.  APPLAUSE!

April Concert 2010

The final classical concert of the season was last Saturday night. It was difficult. Titled "From Tragedy to Triumph" we began with Brahms. Our guests artists were my neighbors who played Vaughn-Williams rarely performed Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra. It was magnificent! 

On to Mozart's 40th Symphony--very famous!

This is my new friend, Orda, originally from Kazakhstan but now living in Dallas. He has a beautiful European violin. 

My neighbor and her beautiful daughter celebrating at Java City after the concert and their out-of-focus husband/Dad.  It's a bad photo, but he is one half of the performing duo.  Couldn't leave him out!

In memory & in Honor

In memory of Luigi Sorabella and in honor of his beautiful daughter, Candy, my sister in the Lord. May Lou rest in the presence of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus.

Art and the Nickel

Saturday night Muffin and I participated in an event that is unique to our hometown.  Several years ago our mayor at that time had a brilliant idea to establish a museum for children's illustrated literature.  After some temporary homes and many years of raising funds the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, NCCIL (pronounced Nickel) found a home inside a building that was reclaimed and restored by the Preservation League.  It is the ideal size and has a gallery, a shop with reading room, a foyer and combination craft room, and a caterer's kitchen.  The NCCIL organizes exhibits which travel to other museums and libraries throughout the nation.  Open for tours to teachers, children, workshops with artists and lectures for adults the NCCIL is a fascinating place for youngsters and oldsters.  The artists who visit are unfailingly grateful for a place to display their original artwork, because after it is printed in books the works are almost always stored away.  The museum is the only place of its kind where original illustrations are shown in collections by the artists who created them. 

Last Friday night the NCCIL celebrated the opening of a show by celebrated artist, Etienne Delessert, Swiss born illustrator and author of many award winning children's books.  My favorite is Full Color, a whimsical, imaginative approach to teaching a color wheel. 

Before the guest of honor spoke on behalf of his show we were entertained by the Hardin-Simmons University Cowboy Band. They entered with their signature "cowboy shuffle", performed for about thirty minutes, then tossed their hats in the air and shuffled out.  Then dinner was served buffet style by Harold's BBQ, featured in Texas Monthly Magazine as one of the best BBQ places in Texas. I agree!  The chicken was so tender you could cut it with a plastic fork. Delicious brisket and sides of beans and potato salad. Dessert was either peach or blackberry cobbler.  Of course there was iced tea. And Mr. Harold Christian was there to assist serving the BBQ himself.  He's such a nice man.

Dinner music was by Lori Sims, a lovely red haired fiddler who strolled among the tables and played classics: Cotton Eyed Joe, Old Joe Clark, Orange Blossom Special, and Faded Love, among other titles.

When all is said and done however, it is the art that made a very rainy Friday night glow with entertaining warmth and imaginative spirit. 

All photos from the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature exhibit: 

Why Grow Up? Etienne Delessert

Teaching and Playing: Three generations

This is what I do. I don't remember learning to read music, because I read music before I read words.  I played the piano before I went to school.  The violin dropped in to the mix when I was seven. It was a ploy to slow my progress on the piano because I couldn't reach the notes I needed to play nor would my feet touch the pedals.  After a few years I decided the violin, not the piano, was my voice, my language, my soul, and keenly connected to my spirit.  After I met Muffin, while in college as I was majoring in music, I began to think seriously about teaching music.  At first I thought about teaching general music on the elementary level.  Then I gravitated toward beginning strings classes after learning to play viola and cello and bass myself.  My student teaching assignment was with a sixth grade strings class and a junior high school orchestra.  I enjoyed both. By that time I had three years private teaching experience with violin students and a couple of summers as orchestra camp theory teacher, as well as seven weeks as a music counselor at an exclusive girls' summer camp where I taught classes, wrote a musical production, taught the music to the girls, and accompanied them during the performances.  Long story shortened, after college and marriage no school music positions were open either in west Texas or in northern California where we lived, so I began to take more and more private students. 

We moved back to Texas and had four daughters and more students. Not that I gave birth to the students, but I saw some of them weekly for thirteen consecutive years, and I taught our daughters to play violin as well and saw them every day for eighteen years or more.  So, it's a generational thing for me. A way of life. A skill I pass on. Hopefully a blessing to my children and to their children.

Now Boo is playing professionally and teaching twenty-something students herself.  Looks like one of them is going to be our Gracie!  She is delighted to play her "my-lin".  And because she has watched her mommy teach and re-position violins so many times she thinks she can position them for her grandparents.  This makes me very happy!  She is learning my language.

Planting

Irises in two colors and pink rosebuds in my garden

On a routine shopping trip for groceries I found hanging baskets full of petunias and begonias for $6.98 each.  Hard to beat when the four inch pots are often $1-2.00 each, add a pot, the hanger, and potting soil, not to mention the planting time.  My Mom gave me a beautiful fancy purplish geranium for my birthday. And another trip to the nursery netted 3 big red geraniums for the mailbox planter along with some herbs and a celosia and  alyssum for another planter.  Wal Mart garden department had these big pots of Crodyline. When I dug them up to transplant there were 3-4 plants per pot. Google sites pictured fields of them growing like corn in bright, hot sunlight.  Hoping mine will do as well as the spring warms to summer.

alyssum |əˈlisəm|
noun ( pl. -sums)a herbaceous Eurasian plant that bears small flowers in a range of colors, typically white or yellow. Several kinds are widely cultivated ingardens. • Genera Alyssum and Lobularia, family Brassicaceae:many species, including sweet alyssum ( L. maritima), with fragrant white flowers.

Not long after Muffin and I returned from the nursery I receive a text message from a recent college graduate who wanted to come over for some comfort and advice.  She experienced a very difficult rehearsal earlier in the day and was struggling with shame and guilt as a direct result of the director's words.  Ugh!  I know that feeling.  We talked and prayed and loved on her and I trust that we planted some life to replace the hurt. 

Teacher Gifts: For and From the Violin Teacher

Kelly's Korner today is a commentary on gifts to teachers.  Throughout the past 40 years of teaching violin students I have received some awesome gifts from students and their families. The gifts range in monetary value from very little to quite expensive. Here is a list of some of my faves.

1. More music--CD's of classical music or scripture songs or Christmas music. Itunes gift cards or Amazon gift cards also buy more music.  You can never have too much.
2. A ream of hole punched paper, ready to go from the printer to my students' notebooks.
3. A hand-crocheted angel for my Christmas tree
4. Gift cards to bookstores, Starbucks, Chili's, and movie theaters
5. Violin ornaments--my Christmas tree and garlands are loaded with them
6. Big coffee mugs with scriptures printed on them
7. Homemade cookie dough, ready to bake
8. Homemade bread.
9. Hand made tea towels with seasonal themes
10.  Soft ornaments for the lower branches on the trees that my children, and now my grandchildren, can touch safely.
11. Mechanical pencils--orchestra musicians never have too many.
12. A big bowl  filled with everything for a night "in" with my Muffin
13. Framed photos of my students posing with their best "violin posture"
14. One red rose
15. A handwritten note explaining why you love to make music

Gifts I love to give to my students
1. Gift of musical interpretation
2. CD's with my favorite music in a sampler
3. Ornaments with musical themes--miniature instruments or music symbols
4. Pencils
5. Mini rosin
6. Picture frames with photos of special moments we have shared
7. A harmony--the second, more difficult part to a song for which they have already learned the melody
8. Silly putty--It strengthens the fingers, and who can resist it?
9. Small silly objects they can use to learn a new skill--sticky frogs to hold under their "frog fingers"; small balls to balance on the strings to improve posture; stickers or objects they can use as a focal point
10. Games to improve memory skills
11. Hugs and praise