waiting for music hour to begin

third street music school benefit

third street had it's annual luncheon benefit today. it was at the metropolitan club, and i freaked out a little because i had to wear something "appropriate!" well, after perusing their website, i found out that their "appropriate" did not accommodate my usual wardrobe! no stretch pants or tight pants were permitted. well, if i'm not wearing my stretch yoga pants, i'm wearing my jeans . . and i was sure jeans were not considered appropriate! so i had to dig out my velvet skirt, but, unfortunately, the cat had taken a bite out of it on the very bottom. i had to fashion a patch for it and hope no one would notice. well, people certainly weren't looking at me so i needn't have worried. their eyes were on the incredible students of third street who performed this day . .

this is the photo of the younger children who were introduced as twinklers, but they really aren't twinklers. the twinklers truly only can play that twinkle song, along with the "variations!"

this is the photo of the full ensemble

this is the photo of the moms who couldn't stop snapping pictures and made their children run outside into the cold for a group shot.

this is the photo of the group shot.

and this is the photo of the dress that m made for her sister to perform in and to run outside into the cold in order for her mom to get the group shot.

and the fall classes begin

this morning was our first morning of classes. we were off to third street music school for c's violin repertory class followed by her very first day of orchestra. it felt good to be out early and setting off for class. the air felt crisp and wonderfully autumnal! after dropping c at third street i went over to the library and checked out several books about the pueblo indians for m's dance research. then i traipsed to my favorite coffee shop in the city these days:

mudspot!

mudspot plays great music and is always busy. (so they do a good business and can pay their rent and won't close? right?)

i made it back in time to third street for the orchestra class. i'm excited because orchestra is in the auditorium which means there's lots of room for the parents to sit down, hang out, and listen to the students' beautiful music and steve's (the orchestra teacher's) amusing anecdotes!

con spirito orchestra audition

c had an audition at third street today for the beginning orchestra group. her sight reading was a little slow so we don't know yet if she made it. she was a little nervous. afterwards, we had sorbet and ice cream at sundaes and cones on 10th street just off 3rd avenue. we always pass it on our way to music class and we were wondering how good their ice cream was. well . . not good enough for a second time! (unfortunately). . . after the ice cream we drove to the upper east side as we had a gift certificate for reading cinemas on 86th street and third avenue. we saw disney pixar's UP. it was a lot of fun and a great movie, but a little scary for c! (though, not one cute little dog died . . which i was very happy about . . and c too . . )

it goes on

i've been wanting to get caught up on m and c's history work that we're doing about china, and also pick out a few science experiments . . but guitar recitals and lionbrand shoots and friends' birthday parties and nephews' graduations keep getting in the way . . and we say . . there is always summer . .

saturday in the city

i was sitting on the bench in the third street court yard (happily drinking my earl grey tea from mud spot) when c's repertory group came out and serenaded the parents and the apartment building next door. her teacher does this every year in the spring. it's a nice little inpromptu concert. later in the afternoon we attended our friends' concert on the promenade at the new york state theatre. the new york city opera children's chorus sang several american folk songs, folk songs from the british isles, and a lovely piece by susan kander called "fever time." the children had the most fun afterwards, i think, playing red light green light on the balcony!

third street string stravaganza

every january, third street music school has it's string stravaganza at st. mark's in the bowery. c's teacher put together a really lovely arrangement of the sound of music for his repertory group to play. during rehearsals on saturday mornings i was a bit cyncial about it (oh no, here comes another rendition of the sound of music), but the performance this morning brought me to tears. the stravaganza is always a very moving experience for teachers, family and friends.