Taylor Swift

The girls kept asking us what we were going to do the afternoon of the marathon. My Sister and I just kept trying to be vague, but finally the afternoon was upon us and we couldn’t put it off any longer.

I gave the girls a few clues:

1. We are going on a trip within a trip.

2. We are doing something country.

3. It’s epic.

They started guessing: horse back riding? ice skating?

4. It’s once in a lifetime.

5. It’s something we are going to see.

Fireworks?

More epic than fireworks.

Lolly’s eyes squinted a bit and her lips pursed and then:

Taylor Swift?

YES!

Phoebz could not believe it….Lolly was just stoked that she was the one that figured it out.

Once we got to Lexington from Louisville, I said: There are going to be a LOT of screaming girls there tonight.  Phoebe: I’m going to be one of them!

On the way to checking into our hotel we saw the many many Taylor Swift Vehicles. Holy Cow, it takes a fleet:

Being the RED Tour, we had to have red lips that night. Nice photobombing by Jason and the Bathroom Staff!

It was a great first concert appearance for these little turkeys. Though Jason and I thought Ed Sheeran was absolutely brilliant–he even took our picture during a song, Lolly was super offended by his use of the phrase: Hell Yeah.

Finally Taylor was on in full force.  The girls knew all the songs, I knew most of them too. I loved her use of the various stages and flying from one to the other was an unexpected affect.  I wanted to buy red sparkly keds after she wore hers to open.  Phoebz loved all her monologues between songs….and I loved the creative concepts for some of her bigger hits, her insertion of HEY HO and her dancers.  Lolly wore pigtails because she thought that was country.  Jason made us wear ear plugs because he’s old.

Thanks Dad for searching for tickets for months and finally finding the exact right experience for us.  Taylor Swift Forever.

 

A Concert

For those of you just tuning in to the blog, I have a daughter named Lolly who can be equally raunchy as she is enchanting.  The most fun (sarcarsm) times are when she bounces back and forth between them, she’s a moody little thing (yes, we know where she gets it from). : )

The Raunchy Lolly flares up when it’s time to get ready and go somewhere important.  She senses a shift of energy from calm and balanced to probably ME…I’m sprucing up, getting dressed, paying attention to my face and my clothes (and not her), and so she starts acting out.  It’s a formula that does not change, but I am going to try to get better at adding a different ingredient so that we avoid Raunchy Lolly.

This particular evening she started having a fit about two pieces of her outfit: her tights and her bow belt.  Now, I did not spring this outfit on her. She tried it on-a few different versions, and also wore the tights and the dress just the day before for her flute concert, so I prepared her well for the moment when she would wear it for real.  I tried several responses:

~Don’t do this. I let you wear tons of different outfits that you pick out every day, all the time, I am picking it out when it’s a performance.

~You look like a present-it’s a bow! A present! It’s Christmas! get it?

~Just think of it as a costume.

~You can take it off as SOON as you’re done singing.

~Listen lady, we are getting paid to perform (lie), and remember when you do a little job the rules are that you wear whatever the people want you to wear? WELL, the girl who is in charge of this and asked us to sing, emailed me to tell me specifically that she wanted you to wear those shoes, those tights, that dress, sweater and belt, (lie) and so because we are getting paid to do a job (lie), we are professional, and we do what the boss says.

That seemed to shut her up.

It was seriously so stressful, and then as soon as we were in the cab she was la-la-la Lolly again.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr……..

Luckily I’ve had lots of practice with this, so I shook it off.

Once we got to the concert everything seemed to go fine.  The girls and I regrouped during the number before ours. I was in the foyer straightening belts, putting hair behind ears and fixing headbands, when this little girl, who was probably around 11 years old, and looked like an older version of Phoebe, came walking over to Lolly and said all spunky and authoritative-like:

“Do you know what I would do with this outfit you’re wearing? First, I would take the sweater and put it on the OUTSIDE of the bow….”

I interrupted her just then saying who-knows-what, but my look and my tone seemed to get her out of the picture because she quickly retreated.  I didn’t have time to explain the Raunchy-Lolly-Getting-Dressed-Situation from earlier that evening, and I was trying to concentrate on getting ready to perform.

And perform we did, Do You Hear What I Hear? Arranged by John Andrew Tarbet:

Believe it or not, we did have a soundcheck, in which my microphone was indeed plugged in. I feel bad Phoebz mic wasn’t hot enough…but it was a down-to-the-minute production with some details falling through the cracks…like, plugged in microphones. ; )

I’m always pleased to perform with my girls, and so glad the pressure of instrument-playing and pleasing teachers was OUT of the mix this night. I hope that performing together is a tradition that never fades away for us.

I’m a flutist

She touched the necklace (that I originally bought for me to wear in support of her on concert days) around her neck, and rubbed the silver flute charm between her fingers and said: Mom, this is my necklace now, I want to wear it every day because….I am a flutist.

*NOT pronounced flautist, as many people think…it’s flutist….  Dr. Holmes told me so:

Valerie Holmes, Flute, Suzuki Flute, Recorder
Solo recitals and concerto appearances in France, Taiwan, Republic of China, New York, West Coast U.S. Winner, Artists International Competition; New York debut, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. D.M.A., Manhattan School of Music; M.M., B.A., San Jose State University. Teaching Certification, Columbia University Teachers College. Flute studies with Louis Moyse, Carol Wincenc, Harold Bennett. Suzuki Certification, University of Eastern Tennessee. Faculty, Special Music School; Lucy Moses School; French Conservatory of Music; Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music; Nyack College. Prep Center faculty since 1989.

I was so proud of her today.  After months of practicing, she played her pieces in the right order, stayed focused the entire time, and obviously felt great about it-just look at the expression on her face!

See for yourself:

Don’t Forget…

THE CONCERT TOMORROW NIGHT!

It’s FREE and the girls and I are going to *hopefully* look and sound like a million bucks! Our rehearsal went really well and I am sure Lolly will bring an antic or two to the table.

December 4th at 6:30 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints: 125 Columbus Avenue New York, NY, 3rd Floor.

We will be singing this, only it will be 2 years more mature, which, for this particular crowd, makes a big difference! :

A Concert

After a long day of travel, and fearing I might not make it home to sing, I did make it! Just in time!

My voice held out through my cold with just a tiny bit of stubborn phlegm hanging on to a few low notes.  I then spent the next day in bed again to try for some more recuperation.

My friend Jonathan tried on my mink, and commented that my gown was very Harry-Potter Villain-ness, which, of course, I took as a compliment.

I borrowed the black flower from Lolly, and Phoebe suggested red lipstick, so I was grateful to have those decisions made for me.  I even scored another gig out of it, so please come see me in concert on December 4th at 6:30 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints: 125 Columbus Avenue New York, NY

If you still want to purchase my music to have at home, the 25% off link is still up!

It’s free! (the concert that is, not the CD)

COLLAGE CONCERT

Hello! I will be singing works by John Andrew Tarbet (the songs I sing on his site are what I am singing) at his concert on

Monday, November 22, 2010

8:00 PM

St. Peter’s Church

619 Lexington Ave. (at 54th St.)

Please come and watch!