The Final Three R's: #2-Resilience

Practice Challenge Update | Week 19 of 20

Brillante Studio Musicians

Top L to R | Ariana, Derrick, Jasmine, Lindsey, Priyanka, Steven

2nd Row | Audrey, Elle, Keira, Rachael, Thomas

3rd Row | Ayannah, Ellis, La'Naya, Lucy, Riley, Willa

4th Row | Barrett, Evelyn, Liam, Macy, Robert, Zach

5th Row | Becky, Lillyana, Neela, Simrick, Zeke, Bryce

(Not pictured: Zoe, Ethan, Jack, Nicklas, Rayne, Riley P.)

Resilience. This is the word that comes to mind when I think of my students this year. At the beginning of 2021, I challenged them to practice for 100 minutes every week for 20 weeks. (Award winners will be recognized in next week's blog!) They look like perfectly normal people in this photo, but roaring lions definitely live within each one of them. Here is a snapshot of their year:

Ariana | Dedicated her semester to improving her voice and overall confidence. It paid off when she auditioned and landed a spot in her high school's top choral program.

Derrick | Undeterred by technology problems and reading from printed music, he committed to learning his new piece completely by ear and successfully did so.

Jasmine | Always looking for a challenge, Jasmine composed multiple songs this year and performed a soaring rendition of Mozart's "Queen of the Night" for our studio's Halloween concert.

Lindsey | Although a busy wife to her husband and mom to two little boys, Lindsey decided to rekindle her passion for the piano and has progressed mightily in note reading, sight-reading and ear training.

Priyanka | Competitive and committed, Priyanka completed a piano lesson level as well as mastering 14+ new scales and composing her own music.

Steven | Amidst technology issues and new challenges in piano, Steven never gave up and is reaping the benefits of his commitment as he plays some of the world's most recognizable pieces.