Concert Week!

 Erik participated in his holiday band concert on Tuesday. I love seeing how he has progressed on the trombone. Being my only kid who never took piano lessons, he's catching on to music very well and even enjoying it, though I don't he would admit that. More than half of his school is in the band! His band teacher is amazing, which is probably why. Next week, the choir and band will attend a showing of Wicked at the movie theater! I'm so jealous! His band teacher got the approval last second and made a quick turn-around to get all the permission slips in. Erik thinks he won't enjoy it, but I know he will secretly!

Unfortunately, my new phone and the videos I took aren't cooperating with downloading, so no videos of the performances. Just as well, since you couldn't see Erik at all, just the tip of his red Santa hat. 

Erik has the Santa hat on in the back.

The orchestra concert was on Wednesday. I probably would have been sad to not see Austin up there this year, but since he got together with a friend last weekend to play Christmas songs on his cello, and they sounded so amazing, despite Austin not touching his cello for 6 months, I was okay that he's not currently in orchestra. Perhaps when he gets some of his other classes out of the way he can rejoin. 

Kade performed so well! It's been fun watching him improve on his new viola. His orchestra teacher asked him to join the symphony to play Hark! Hear the Bells Trans Siberian Orchestra style on his bass guitar, to join the upright bass. For that song, they also had the HS jazz band join them. It was some super good Christmas rock! Kade also played Sleigh Ride with the rest of the Concert Orchestra and the Symphony, per tradition, with the jazz band as well. Again, I'm disappointed I can't post the videos, but the two I was going to post (Hark! and Sleight Ride) you can't see him very well either because of his positioning and the extra kids on those numbers. Oh well, enjoy the pictures!

Kade's blonde head is just to the left of the stand. This is concert orchestra tuning.

After their pieces.

Here's his piece with the symphony. He is standing in the back. In between Mr. Edwards' head and the bass, you can see a little poke of blonde.

Here are all orchestras after Sleigh Ride. He's in the middle back.