National Piano Guild Awards!

(First let me apologize for this weird picture format. My computer won’t recognize my phone so I am stuck posting pictures directly from my phone.)

Dylan received his Piano Guild certificate and medal on Sunday. It was so funny to see his face when he realized how small the other participants in the picture with him were.  He is on his fourth year and many of those children were playing for the first time.

Motorized Toy Proposal Presentation!

Dylan's math class completed all of 6th and all of 7th grade math before the last month of school! Then, the fun began! They have been working in groups on motorized toys to pitch to a panel of judges as the next big toy! They had to do consumer surveys, data representations, and design a car that would appeal to children (especially girls) ages 6-10. The toys had different criteria that they could meet. Dylan's team made "The Sharkplow Tank", able to climb a 30 degree slope. They experimented with different gear trains until they found what would work. Parents were invited to watch them pitch their toys to the judges.

Visitors!

I had to shoo them away so they would not eat our tree, but they were such lovely visitors!

DRMS 6th Grade Honors Assembly!

Straight A's took loads of work and dedication! What an introduction to life after elementary school this year has been! Way to go, Dylan! Your hard work paid off!

DRMS Advanced and Intermediate Orchestra: The Little Mermaid!

Disney Middle School Orchestra Concert!

A Visit from Mason and Her Friends!

LCHS String Orchestra and Camerata Play Harry Potter!

2018 National Piano Guild Audition!

I say it each year and I'll say it again. I am so incredibly proud of this boy! As I have mentioned, sixth grade has been a busy year with loads of homework and projects that took countless hours of Dylan's time. Many times, I said that we need to let go of the plan for him to audition for the National Piano Guild for his fourth year. Fitting in the time it takes to prepare for the audition did not seem manageable, but whenever I mentioned taking a step back, Dylan would say, "You don't have faith in me. I will be ready to audition for Guild". He was right! He memorized nine songs and each song's scales and cadences, and practiced ear training and ultimately passed his audition with "Superior Plus" ratings. The most exciting part was that he got many C's (Commendable marks) for his most challenging song that he has worked on for a year, Bach's Prelude in C Minor. The C's were for fluency, maturity in memory, contrast in dynamics, clearness of voices, and convincing ending. Way to go, Dylan!

(The last picture is of him opening an early birthday present after his audition.)