A Winter Concert

A couple of weeks ago my amazing little (hardly - he's like six feet) brother Josh performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue on the piano with his high school orchestra. Now, I knew he was talented, but I actually had no idea how amazing he really is! He did an amazing job and I was so darn proud of him :) You may or may not be able to view a video of the performance by clicking here.

We decided to take James to see his Uncle "Dosh" perform. James was so excited to go to the concert. All day he kept saying, "Go a carcert??" He couldn't wait. Since Josh was the final performer of the evening, we decided that it might be a bit hard for him to sit through an entire concert, so he and his daddy went on a little outing to the bookstore and had tons of fun, while I went to the concert. They met us there at the very end, and James could not wait! He was so good during the whole performance and clapped for Uncle Dosh. It was actually really sweet; I think it really made a big impression on him.

When we got home that night, James was so excited to read this cute book that we have, called "A Winter Concert." It is really an adorable book, about a little mouse who goes to a concert on a winter night. There is a grand piano on stage, and after the audience gathers, the pianist comes out and plays a concert of beautiful, beautiful music. The illustrations are all black and white drawings, but when the pianist starts to play, beautiful colors come out of the piano and fill the whole concert hall and pave the little mouse's pathway home.

Thank goodness for good music, good books, and wonderful uncles.

calling all piano teachers

Yesterday in the car I was listening to the radio, and Classical 89 was celebrating Chopin's 200th birthday by playing a lot of his pieces. On came his Polonaise-Fantasie, the piece I ended my senior piano recital with. I seriously almost got a little teary - I SO miss practicing for hours at a time! I just love the piano, and teaching piano. As a mom it can be so hard sometimes to fit practicing in when you are already pulled in so many directions. But I keep on resolving to try harder to practice more regularly. (I figure if I say that on my blog, there is more pressure to follow through, right? ;)) It is something that I definitely need to keep in my life!

Lately I have had piano on the mind a lot. I have been working on becoming certified as a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music, which is pretty cool. I have been teaching a bit and trying to get more students, and trying to become a better teacher.

One thing that I miss about college is being with other pianists all the time and having the chance to talk to them and perform for each other and learn together. Now that my "piano friends" and I are all off in the world, starting studios of our own and putting to practice all the things we learned while working on our degrees, we have often emailed each other or had little discussions online about different aspects of teaching, and it has been wonderful to hear different ideas and get different perspectives on things. Which is why I am excited to announce...

my new blog!

My friend Janina and I have started a new blog, The Teaching Studio, which is all about piano teaching. We want it to be a fun place where we can share experiences and ideas with other piano teachers, and hopefully help inspire each other to become better teachers. Along with the posts that we write, we have a few other piano teachers as regular contributors who will share their insights. We are excited to get piano teachers from all over to visit our blog and make comments and share their ideas.

We want this to be helpful and inspiring for all types of piano teachers - the teachers who have taught for years and have college music degrees, as well as teachers who are just starting out and may not have a ton of formal training in piano pedagogy. I know I have lots of friends who fit into either of these categories, so come check out our new blog!

How cool is this??

like father like son

Today Jonathan tuned our piano and James wanted in on the action! (hehe...no pun intended) He was just mesmerized watching the hammers move when he played the keys. It was the cutest thing. You can almost see the little wheels turning in his head as he figures out how things work. It's so fun seeing my baby turn into a little boy and to see him hanging out with his Daddy. I can definitely see him being into gadgets (not to mention music!) like his Daddy.

Flashback Boxes

Yesterday Jonathan and I decided to clean out a few boxes from our storage closet. I tackled a box full of random papers, and man, it was so much fun! It was a total flashback to my senior year of college, mostly having to do with piano.


In this box I found some awesome gems such as:

*My senior piano recital program, signed by the three piano faculty members who were on the jury at my recital, with their signatures and the word "Pass!!" (I think my favorite part of that is Dr. Peery-Fox's signature, because I have to admit that I was nervous that she'd be there, and so thrilled that she later complimented me on how well I did.) This totally took me back to the days of practicing hours on end, and sometimes I really miss it! Consequently, I practiced for quite awhile today (definitely not near the four hours I used to, but still - it felt good!).


*TONS of class notes from classes like piano lit, music history and such. However, my favorite part of these notes were my study notes (well, cram session notes, really) that Janina and I wrote down in the middle of the night before our big music history exams. They consisted of some AMAZING acronyms (well, sort of acronyms...) and such that helped us remember key facts about Bach and Handel. Some of my personal favorites:

Guys And Or Men OWe Our Very Cute selves Dark Chocolate Or Light Chocolate!

...which, of course, reminds you of these important Bach facts...

Germany, Amstadt, Organist, Muhlhausen, Organ works, Weimar, Organist, Violinist, Concertmaster, Director, Cothen, Orchestra, Leipzig, and Cantatas.

No wonder we did so well on the tests, eh?? I will spare the details of the Handel one about love handles.


*A roll of cloth tape I used to use to tape my fingers when they started to hurt or bleed during practicing. Ahh, good times...


*Notes written by Janina and myself during our public speaking class. Writing notes to each other kept us awake (and sane). Here are some examples (two are in the form of poetry):

One day in the class "Public Speaking"
Some speeches we were critiquing.
He gave us a break,
The chance we did take,
We escaped and us he was seeking.

HAIKU TO PUBLIC SPEAKING by: J-Bebe
We sit there...and stare.
He talks, and talks, and he talks.
I want to leave now.

to the next idea....to the next idea....to the next idea....to the next idea....yes, let's move onto the NEXT idea please.

This class was riveting, as you can imagine.


*A plastic bag filled with about a million fortune cookie fortunes. Mostly from Panda Express.


I love flashback boxes. They just fill my soul with joy. And oh how I [sometimes] miss the days of being a full-time music nerd.

Abby's new piano!

Today some neighbors were having a garage sale. While we were all hanging out at my parents' house, my Dad and James were outside and Dad heard some piano music. He came in and told us that he thought there was a piano at their garage sale, and since we are all piano fans (and you can never have too many pianos), my siblings and Jonathan and I ran around the block to check it out. Sure enough, there was a piano - a cute little spinet that was pretty nice and sounded pretty good, and it was a really good price! Someone else had shown interest in it but they had not heard back from them, and Abby decided that she really wanted a piano! She offered them the money and wrote out a check, and was so excited to have her very own piano!

It was quite the exciting time getting the piano home, carrying/wheeling it around the block (I always wanted to play a piano outside! Our lucky neighbors heard piano music going past their houses as about six or seven of us carried it home).

Good thing my parents found somewhere to put it - now they have four pianos at their house! Abby is so excited to have her very own piano, and we're so excited for her!

James even tried it out!

Abby and her new piano

Ahhh, now that's more like it

Ok I cannot just leave that last video on my blog without posting a video of an amazing, classical pianist - just for some contrast! This is Martha Argerich (amazing!!) playing one of my FAVORITE pieces (which I played at my sophomore recital), Jeux d'Eau by Ravel. Hope you enjoy!

Surprisingly, a really cool video!

Today I found a really cool video on YouTube. I have to preface this by saying that I am not a Jon Schmidt fan. Yes, I am a pianist, and I love music, and I realize that a lot of people really like him and his style. But, I really don't see what is so great about his music. Being a classical pianist, I can't really compare his music to, say, Schumann or Chopin or Bach. It just, hands down, does not compare at all (sorry to all who are fans!). I remember always hearing his song Waterfall being played in the practice rooms at BYU and it driving me crazy, or hearing people play his songs and having everything think it was amazing. I am not trying to sound snobby here, just trying to be honest! (However, I will say that his songs have tons of energy, they are fun and he seems like a fun performer!)

ANYWAY...having said all that, I found a video on YouTube today of one of his songs (well, arrangments), and it was really neat! I was honestly surprised. I thought it was such a cool (and random) combination of songs ("Love Story" by Taylor Swift and "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay - which just happens to be James' favorite song, so he enjoyed it, too!). It's a piano/cello arrangment (with a few drums/keyboards/voices/whatever thrown in) and it is just so fun (by the way, I think the cello is amazing, I totally want to get one and learn it someday!). So, I just had to share. I know, crazy, I am sharing a Jon Schmidt video on my blog. Well, just go see for yourself, it is pretty fun (as long as you ignore his technique and his really flat fingers at points - man that just makes me CRINGE and my fingers hurt!!) Anyway...enjoy!

Oh how I miss playing a Steinway...

I am accompanying someone at the NATS competition (a singing competition) this weekend, so last night I went up to the U of U for her lesson with her voice teacher. As I sat down at the piano, I realized I had not played a Steinway in ages - probably for about three years - and, oh my goodness, it was amazing. If you have never played a Steinway, there is just something about the feel and sound of a Steinway that is just so amazing and gorgeous. There are so many different sounds and colors you can achieve with a REALLY good piano, and it makes it so much more fun to play! I SO miss being able to play a Steinway every day. Now, if only we had, oh, like $50,000 or so..... :) Better start saving...

Life is great

Life is so wonderful! We are so happy that Jonathan was blessed with a great job after SO many months of looking. It's funny how things work out completely NOT the way (and in the timing) you expect, but they DO work out :) He is LOVING his job at Cephalon, we are currently looking for an apartment or duplex or something to rent, and we are just so happy!

James hasn't been feeling well the past few days. He had a fever of 102 the other night, it was so sad! I think he may be teething again, and that might be part of it. Poor boy! You can tell from this picture how he was feeling. I at least was happy that he was INCREDIBLY cuddly that night - which is rare! :) Don't I look lovely and exhausted myself? So it is as a mommy :)


James' FAVORITE activity is to go outside. He grabs his shoes and stands by the door and says "Go! Go! Go!" Well the past few days have been VERY hard, because all he wants to do is go outside, but it is much too cold and snowy for our little sicky to go outside. Here are some pictures from last week, when he just INSISTED on going for a walk.



And I thought 9:00 church was hard on the nap schedule - 11:00 is much worse! This kid refuses to take a nap before church, and then just crashes when we get home.


Also, I just wanted to say that I am looking for a few piano students. I used to have quite a large studio in Utah County, but then we moved and I had to drop all of my students :( I am so excited to get back into it. I wanted to share my piano teaching website (ok, so it's just a blog, but website sounds cooler :)), in case any of you know someone looking for a good teacher!

It's in the genes...

The Next Victor Borge

For any of you who have never heard Jonathan play the piano, he is really good. He loves to play and has an amazing memory, he pretty much can remember any song he's ever learned. He is very talented. Well, those of you who know him know that he also has a great sense of humor. He loves to find funny ways to play the piano, like Victor Borge or the Marx Brothers. Here is his running-start rendition of Chopin's prelude no. 20 in C minor. Enjoy!

a musician in the making

playing guitar with Daddy

my boys

the next August Rush? :)

my big boy playing the piano

do I have to keep practicing?

he loves it!

getting into the music

me and my adorable little guy

it's been awhile...

I feel like it has been forever since I have updated our blog - I have just been putting up pictures from our trip to Oregon, but I haven't put up many recent ones!

We've been doing really well. James has been tasting lots of new kinds of foods and really enjoying eating solids! Lately he has loved oatmeal and pears and carrots, and he can usually tolerate a little squash. His biggest news is that he has learned how to crawl! I'll have to take a video of him and post it, it is so cute. For awhile he could get up on his hands and knees and would rock back and forth, and he could scoot anywhere if there was something he REALLY wanted to get his hands on - which is usually something electronic (like father like son!). On Monday, he all of a sudden started crawling, moving his hands and knees! It is so darn cute and we can't believe how fast he is growing! His personality is getting cuter and cuter. I think he has quite the sense of humor, and he seems really aware of things and really smart (not that I'm biased....) The other day while I was feeding him he was just laughing and laughing at me, it was so fun.

He also had his 6-month checkup with Dr. Durham and got his immunizations. He did really well this time with his shots, only cried a little and wasn't too sore afterwards. Dr. Durham said he is really healthy! We were a little surprised he hadn't gained a little more weight, he weighed exactly 16 pounds, and dropped a bit in the percentiles. But he is eating so much now, I 'm sure he'll be just fine. He is a GREAT eater and is getting so good at opening his mouth WIDE for bites! So cute.

James' first time trying carrots - he loves them!

Jonathan just got a fun new toy - he got a new bike! He used to have a nice bike before we met and when we were dating, and he used to ride it EVERYWHERE. We would even ride it together all over campus, and we named it Gary. He loved his bike - but then it got stolen! Since then he hasn't really ridden much at all. My parents went in with me on it for their graduation gift for him, and it was my Fathers Day gift for him. He has been riding it to work most days, which we think is about 6 miles each way, and he is loving it! I have to admit that I am also loving it, because it means that I have a car during the day! Jonathan is enjoying his job and we are currently trying to figure out our lives and get him ready for grad school.

My boys

I have actually been sick for 2 or 3 weeks and I am finally just getting better (one reason I have not posted on our blog too much lately). I was sick for awhile, and I finally gave in and went to the doctor and it turned out that I have some type of rare sinus infection. I am feeling a lot better now, though, thank goodness!

Here are some fun recent pictures. These two were taken on Fathers Day when we went to visit my Grandpa and Grandma Gibbons. They are so cute and I love them so much! I am so glad that James has such wonderful great-grandparents who love him so much!

My sweet white-haired Grandma with James

Grandpa sure loves to hold the boy!

We love living so close to my parents, and James loves his Grandma and Grandpa! We were there for dinner on Sunday, and Aunt Liz brought her whole dinner group from Provo for dinner, and we had such a fun time! We stayed a little late and, as you can see, James was SO sleepy! Here he is in his comfy pajamas with his Grandma.

The other day I was making dinner, and I heard Jonathan playing the piano. When I came downstairs this is what I found! James loves playing the piano - maybe he'll be a pianist someday! His Daddy plays a lot, and lately I have been practicing a lot more - so maybe it'll rub off on him!

Our Baby is Growing Up!

This may sound crazy, but I seriously think that James visibly grew bigger today! He just looks SO big to me, I can't believe it! He is just growing up right before our eyes! He is so much bigger than he was when he was born! He went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago for his 2-month checkup, and he weighed 12 pounds 7 ounces! He measured 25 inches, and is in the 96th percentile for length! He is a big boy! I keep telling him that he is going to be tall like his Uncle Josh. Anyway, our baby is just growing up so fast, and while it is a little sad that he's not quite a newborn anymore, it is so fun and exciting to see him changing every day!

He is beginning to grab onto his toys more and to start to "play" with them. Well, at least he tries to eat them! Especially stuffed animals, he always tries to put them in his mouth. Ok, so I handed him the teddy bear, but he totally held onto it and hugged it and . . . well, tried to eat it! :)

Our sweet little boy!

James absolutely LOVES his Uncle Josh! Josh can always calm him down when James is sad. James just gazes into Josh's eyes, it is the cutest thing in the world. Josh has been staying with us for a couple of days, and James has been having so much fun!

Yummy!

This boy is just so cute, I can't help myself - I take so many pictures of him! Here I was about to change his diaper, and he was so happy that I was changing him that he was just smiling at me so big!

Look how grown-up he is looking! I can't believe it!

James likes to be a good little "helper" and he holds onto his pants while I change his diaper, it is hilarious. Usually he just tries to eat them.

Just look at those eyes! I am in love! :)

This boy is so pleasant!

Our happy, happy boy! :)

Tummy time!

Trying to roll over. He actually rolled over for the first time about 5 weeks ago, but hasn't really done it since. But tonight (just after I took this picture) he rolled over about 5 times!