Congratulations Elliot!

After years of learning the piano, we were finally brave enough to enter our first competition. Congratulations to Elliot for being one of the prizewinners at the UMT piano competition! We were probably more nervous than he was! The $70 prize money also came in handy...I would have uploaded a video of him playing if I had actually managed to get a good video. Oops..

A proud teacher!

Waiting to start

Elliot's cheer squad!

What better way to celebrate than enjoying chocolate treats at Max Brenner!

My favourite...the chocolate souffle

The classic Belgian waffle...yum

Musical Moments

Its that time of the year...concert time! We've had ballet, band, strings, choir, piano, plays...multiple that by three and that's a busy concert schedule! I shall not bore you with details of all but here are a few highlights. Or least highlights where I had obtained some sort of footage!

Lara playing the double bass as the fairy godmother, her character in the class play

Jonah just missed out graduation from Level 1 this year, but did complete Book 1 and thus was able to play in his first recital outside of his teacher's studio. For a moment, I thought he would decline to play as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. But play he did! Phew!

A very proud Jonah with his certificate

Lara and Elliot completed Levels 3 and 6 respectively and had the privilege of performing at the graduation recital at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. I am so proud of all three children and looking forward to hopefully having all three play at the same concert next year!

The $300,000 plus Steinway concert grand at the East Recital Hall of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Oh what a beautiful instrument! It made my children sound so good...

Suzuki Piano Graduation

Another year, another piano graduation concert. Congratulations to Lara who performed at the Opera House's Utzon room for the first time this year after graduating Book 1 and Book 2! Elliot also did well playing Chopin after graduating Book 5. It was a beautiful day for a concert for a family day out.

The sun is shining. The concert is over!

Tried to get a photo of all 3 children with no success

He decided later that he did want his photo taken

Having drinks as a family after the concert

The chips and wedges didn't last long

Concert At The Opera House

It was that time of year again...Elliot had graduated from Book 3 of Suzuki piano! So it was off to the Opera House for a graduation recital. The whole family went, along with Lanella, Oma and Opa to watch Elliot perform. I was rather nervous about Jonah's ability to sit through a whole concert without creating a fuss and I wasn't disappointed. I tried to pretend that I was not the parent of "that" child who kept shouting "I want food" multiple times during the performances. The same child, who when not shouting, was banging things loudly together. Lanella kindly came to the rescue and took him out for a walk in the Botanical Gardens.

Elliot did extremely well, considering that another child performed his piece near perfectly before him. We were very proud! So much so that I forgot to take a photo when he was performing. I was probably more nervous than he was. Alright, so I was nervous and he wasn't.

It will be interesting to see how Lara will go when her turn comes around...

Taking photos at the forecourt whilst waiting for the Opera House to open its doors

A reward for the whole family after the concert! Still reeling over a coffee costing $5...

The cause of my biggest angst that day!

Lara enjoying the treat