Fiddle Recital

Madeline, Sarah Brewer, Clara Fletcher, Seth Brewer, and Ella

Madeline and Ella's violin teacher arranges a recital every year with a different focus.  This year, the theme was fiddle music.  Mrs. Spencer arranged to have adult guitar players, bass players, and fiddle players who accompanied the kids.  Madeline and Ella's age learned Old McDonald, Bile them Cabbage Down, and Camptown Races, as well as part of Orange Blossom Special.   They ended up playing with some friends they've been playing with for the past three years, so there was a familiarity with the group.  The kids were all coordinated with clothes, handkerchiefs, etc, and the music was fantastic.  The older kids played beautiful pieces.  The recital took place in a retirement center, so there were some older folks who really enjoyed having the children play.

Ella and Madeline get ready for the recital.

Madeline went to a fiddle camp last summer and learned some Irish and Swedish fiddle music, dances and songs.   Her teacher invited her to play one of the songs she learned.  Madeline courageously agreed to play an Irish fiddle song that she really enjoyed, "Brosna Slide".  She had a Bass player and Guitar player accompanying her.  She did a wonderful job.  I was proud of her for have the courage to play, but most of all I was proud of her when she forgot where she was during the piece that she kept on playing.  She felt bad afterwards for her mistake, somehow thinking she was the only one who made a mistake, and she almost let that overshadow the number of people who came up to her and me and told her what a wonderful job she did.  She was by far the youngest child to do a solo there, and people wanted to let her know they were impressed with her hard work.

Madeline plays her solo, "Brosna Slide"

The cookies and punch afterwards helped her lay to rest, at least temporarily,

 her disappointment.  I hope she learned that mistakes are inevitable, but continuing to start over again and do your best is what really matters.  It takes confidence to be able to do something with the knowledge that you might make some visible mistakes along the way.  Life is such as this.