The Merrells: September 2015

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Naomi and Lauren Tapping Rhythms!

Lots of laughing involved!

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Monday, September 28, 2015

Birmingham chapter!

This was last night, about 30 seconds before Matt left for Birmingham, where he started his new job today! We hope to join him in a couple weeks when we close on a house!

Sunday, September 27, 2015

As happy as the giant ice cream cones make me, this lady makes me even happier! This is my absolute favorite picture of the whole Piano Social evening. We look like we are plotting something devious. We weren't...but we usually are, so it's perfect! I'm gonna miss Jefrilyn when I move!

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Merrell Kids at the Piano!

As reported in my previous post, my studio's Fall Piano Social happened last night. I haven't consistently done lessons with Gabe or Andrew (and not even super consistent with Naomi!!). I'd like to change that, but they were interested in participating and all had songs they were able to polish up easily. Here they are:

I will never get enough of playing duets with my children!

We had time for some fun pictures afterward, too.

First was trying to get a group picture. Of my 20 students, 17 were present.

The best we managed:

Pictures with the giant ice cream cones!

Friday, September 25, 2015

Fall 2015 Piano Social!

My piano studio's Fall Piano Social was this evening, and it turned out really well! Here's how everything went down:

Exactly one week and one day ago, I met with my "planning committee" (i.e. best friends Autumn and Jefrilyn) to go over a few details. I was planning on keeping it very simple, so I thought we'd discuss how many tables and tablecloths we'd need, and what type of very simple decoration we could put into the middle of each table. Being the artistic/ambitious/crazy/fun-loving ladies that they are, they immediately started planning bigger and better things.

After a couple days of being up to our elbows in paper mache (from 10 am to 8 pm!) and another one of being up to our elbows in hot glue and tissue paper, we had created this:

Those suckers are taller than Jefrilyn. Here's another shot:

And we had a lot of fun doing it! We had an ice cream incentive program (kids earned paper ice cream scoops for sight reading, playing duets, transposing, composing, technique exercises, theory, rhythms, etc. If they hit a certain number of scoops as a collective studio, they would earn the ice cream party. And they did it!) So we had an ice cream sundae bar. Here are pictures of other parts of the decorated room:

Small cones for the tables:

Each performer had a name card and a bracelet at this table. The bracelets have the melody for "Ode to Joy" on them.

The ice cream table:

It was a fantastic event, and I couldn't have been more thrilled with it! The students provided background music while the families ate and visited. Sometimes simple is better. But all-out decorations can be more fun!!! I'm glad my friends talked me into this!

Pictures of the kids to come soon!