Ninja Moves

This morning, the junior quartet performed for the first time in junior schooling assembly.  We had a rehearsal beforehand.  Originally, I was told we could practice in the assembly hall, but yesterday one of the girls saw me and ran up, very serious and wide-eyed: dance club would be in the hall - and they have loud music.  I thought I might be able to use the music room by the hall, but this morning there was another group was rehearsing in there.  So, having found the cellist, I went to the music room by the front driveway and next to the music office.  Thankfully, the other girls saw us as they arrived.  Before I saw the viola arrive, I walked out to the drive to check something with the first violinist's mum.  Turning back, I saw a flash of white-socked leg run into the classroom.  I walked in...

Viola [jumping up from just under a desk]: AGH!!!!! [best approximation of a yell]
Me: Yep.  Hi.  I saw you run in here.
Viola: I'm practising ninja moves.
Cello: ... why...?
Viola: This morning, my mum, at breakfast, she was just standing there, and then [does a fast squat with arms crossed out the front] hai-YA!  I got, like, such a shock.  I was, like, mum?  What are you doing?  And she said, I'm practising my stealth ninja moves.  So then I did it, like this [pauses, looks focused, then just the arm movement] hai-YA!  But then, mum said she was about to have a shower, so I got to the bathroom before her, and I put on a shower cap, like this [mimes] and made it really tight around my head, and then I hid in the shower, so when she came in - [squat, arms,] hai-YA! and- OH!  OH!  I just had the best idea!  We could be, like, the ninja moves quartet!

As it turned out, there were far more ninja stealth moves in rehearsal than anybody wanted, as there were several flies just flying around and landing on their bows and fingers and music.  How to keep the adrenaline pumping.  And I am pleased to report they spoke their parts and played their music beautifully.  One very proud teacher here.

Baking

As mentioned yesterday, the continuing quartet had their first performance last week.  Normally I would give out Freddo Frogs as a reward, but I'm bored of that.  For my own chamber music concert recently, I baked mini cupcakes and decorated them with appropriate musical things (as well our group name).  For these girls I baked mini cupcakes and decorated them with the clefs and some musical signs.  At the end of rehearsal, I let them choose.

Girls: Oh you baked? Wow they are so cute!  And - aww, they've got a -
Viola: YAY!  You know how to do an alto clef.  I have to have that one.  Thank you!
Cello: Can I have... Can I ... ooh, can I have a G clef please?  Violin 1, you should have the f and violin 2, I think you need to take the p and - oh wow!  These are actually really yummy!
Me: Er - thanks...  You sound really surprised.
Cello: Well.  Yeah.  I mean, you made these.  And they taste good.
Me: Ye-es...  Is that really such a surprise?
Cello: Well, you see... Whenever my mum bakes, it's ... just... terrible.  I keep telling her, you need to use a bigger tin, because it all - well - it just - okay, all the baking soda separates and so it sticks to the bottom and it's just ... ergh... And then no-one wants to eat her cakes, and she's all like "Why don't you eat my cakes?" and I'm all like "Because it doesn't taste good" and then the next time she'll do exactly the same thing and then we go through whole conversation all over again and I'm, just, agh!  MUM!
Me: O...kay...
Cello: Man this icing is good!  How do you make icing, anyway?
Me: Icing sugar and water.  A whole of sugar and very little water.
Cello: Is that it?  Wow.  That sounds so simple.  Ha.  Mum always says "We don't have time for icing" but that is so not true.

Cowbell

8-yr-old boy, whose mum's family is from either Germany or Austria.  I was trying to pick the next piece for him to learn - usually we pick one he's doing in classroom music.  And, if you haven't seen the 'Needs More Cowbell' music video on Youtube, do...

Me: Can you sing me a song you're learning at school?
Boy sings half-heartedly, and I can't really pick the words or the melody.
Boy: Can we do a piece that I can do as a duet, with my mum?
Me: Of course!  That would be great!  Does your mum play violin too?
Boy: Uh-uh.  Cowbell.
Me [suppressing a giggle - see video]: Ah.  Okay.
Boy: Ummm ... Can we learn Edelweiss?
Me: Just a minute [I go through it in my head to see if he'll be able to play the whole thing].  Yes!
Boy: Yay.  I know my mum can play it, too. [He then proceeded to sing it in letternames for me - impressive, but we're in a different key].

I can't wait to hear this cowbell-violin duet, eventually.  His first play of it was not bad at all.

Mothers

After ensemble, there was a mum sitting on the bench outside the room.  There were a few girls hanging around in the rehearsal room, and I wanted to check that the mum wasn't waiting for one of them.

Me: Is that anyone's mum?
Girl 1: No... My mum has short hair.  Like, really short hair.
Me: Yeah, I knew it wasn't your mum.
Girl 2: Well, it's not my mum.
Me: I knew it wasn't your mum either, really.
Girl 2: How do you know what my mum looks like?  You haven't seen my mum, have you?
Me: Yes I have, at our performances.
Girl 2: Well, what does she look like?
Me: Like a taller, older version of you.  With shorter hair.
Girl 2: No she doesn't!
Girls 1, 3 &4: Yes.  Yes, she does.