Monday, December 5, 2011

Family History Photo Monday: 6th Grade Christmas Concert 1986

 One of the legends I like to share with my piano students is the Christmas Concert at Edahow Elementary in 1986.  I was accompanying the numbers my grade sang.  As you can see from the photo (if you'll stop looking at my ridiculous hair for a moment), I was using individual sheets of music that were not weighted down by anything.  During this number, someone entered the gym/cafeteria from an outside door and a cold gust of wind blew through the room.  ("A gust of wind.  Enter Felix with a not-so-bright look on his face...")  My music sheets went flying off the piano.  I can remember hearing gasps of horror from the audience.  The legendary part is that I kept playing because I had the whole song memorized.  My Grandma Shirley (she was in the audience) cried when she told Brian about it 20 years later - it was pretty dramatic.  That blonde woman leaning on the piano totally lost her mind when it happened, too.  Anyway, it reminds me that kids are much more brave than we sometimes give them credit for and always put your sheet music in plastic sleeves or tape them up.  Duh.

6 comments:

melissa said...

What a great story! I've never heard that legendary tale before. What a wonderful way to start the week. :)

KQ said...

HaHa! Great story! I love how proud your Grandma Shirley was. So sweet. I wish my hair looked that good at that age. My bangs were much more crispy. :)

Katy said...

The Legendary Legend of Awesomeness and Bravery!! You and Jen amaze me with your accompanying talents. The only way I can accompany correctly is to practically memorize the whole song. I think you were in 5th or 6th grade?

Jen said...

I remember this- and that dress. Very legendary! So, do you encourage your students to memorize everything? Wasn't the blonde woman your teacher? I remember being jealous that you had a hip young teacher and mine was an old lady.

Nicole said...

I don't know who that blonde woman is - I totally had Mrs. Woolley (same old teacher you had) in 6th grade. Maybe that lady was just there for the music portion of our education? I had a hip 5th grade teacher...

Anonymous said...

I love this picture of Nicole playing for her school program. That story is pretty amazing. I love watching Bridget playing alone and with her Mom. Denise