Senior Recital

In order to graduate as a piano performance major I was required to give a 60 minute recital.  I got to perform in the Utah State University Performance Hall which is a world renowned venue (for good reason).  Not only were the acoustics blow your mind amazing (as the performer you can LITERALLY hear any whisper from the audience perfectly) but I was also playing on a hand picked Steinway from the New York Steinway Factory.  For all you bikers, this was like going from a Sedona Hybrid to the bike Lance Armstrong road winning the Tour De France...only WAY better.

This recital has been stressing me out perpetually for four solid years.  The anticipation of the event was far more difficult emotionally then the actual performance.  In fact with each passing piece performed I felt a bit disappointed that it was that much closer to ending.  I knew that once the recital concluded, so was a chapter in my life.  I was probably eleven years old when I knew I would be graduating in piano performance.  Aside from this, nothing else was nearly as certain.  These were some of the things running through my mind as I was playing all of these pieces that have become apart of who I am.

I was also thinking about my mom, who created this huge world for me.  She was so sensitive to what was needed in order for me to pursue this passion.  She knew how much I would grow to love piano way before I did.  She observed every piano lesson, became close friends with most my teachers, and NEVER missed a performance.  The most incredible thing about all of this is I never felt pressured or stressed in reaction to her.  She was always 100% supportive.  Never critical, never disappointed, and always proud.  Mom, could you teach this to everyone else?  My students parents could use a seminar.

And I was of course thinking of Paul in the audience.  So grateful that he lets me (as he puts it) "nerd out" about piano and so many other things.  He comes to not only all of my performances but also my students, which is a whole new level of boredom.  He listens to me rant and rave about the piano department no matter how endless the conversation seems to be.  He gives me a million reasons to not become too immersed in practicing or stressed about performing.  Life became balanced when he came along.  I realized everything I had been missing out on, and we are slowly making up for it.  Not that I regret committing to school in the ways that I did, but I am glad to have a more healthy perspective on what matters most.

So my senior recital was one of the few events in life that was built up to be something huge, and ended up being even bigger then I thought.  It was perfect.  My playing of course could have been much better, but over all I felt good about the performance.  But probably the best part of it was knowing I could skip entire measures or play in the wrong key and those that mattered would still love me just the same.  I will never forget the way they clapped in between almost every movement of my pieces, but sometimes not in between one piece to the next.  Thank you all for coming to this event, and know that I will remember you were there forever!  (Lindsay, I know you wanted to make it and that is good enough for me :). 

They came all the way from St. George!

Both Lauren and Melissa spent many early mornings cursing my name from their beds.

Bridget McBride (left) and Jaime Caliendo (right) are the two most pre-college influential piano teachers I had.  Jaime sparked my love for piano then continued to fuel the fire way after our lessons ended. 

My high school buddies George (left) and Kels-Dawg (right) even came!

I know there are a lot of weird pictures of us three like this one, but oh how I adore them all.

I stinking love this girl.  She is a budding musician.  In the car if she is upset Melissa can turn on classical music and she stops fussing immediately.  Best. Thing.  Ever.

This is Mattie, a very close friend of mine in Logan.