First Public Performances!

Jewelia was getting really good at her violin, and so this year, she joined her brothers performing at nursing homes, a church program, and at Maceys.  She could go and play her violin and even make tip money at Maceys.  This was something new and fun!  

Usually, Jewelia would play about 6 songs.  She always got lots of compliments and people asking who her teacher was and how old was she.  

One of the songs she played was from the Polar Express.  It is called "Believe".
Here is a video from when she was practicing at home:

           

Christmas, Why Can't I Find You?

Jewelia is singing a new Christmas solo this year.  She is singing for a Christmas program and some times at Maceys.  

Here is a video from home of her singing "Christmas, Why Can't I Find You?"

         

And So Christmas Begins

Jewelia has been so excited about Christmas this year.  She has so many concerts, recitals, and performances.  She began right away practicing some new Christmas songs on her violin.  

Here she is playing
"The Little Drummer Boy":

              

The Longest Song So Far

Jewelia is coming right along with her violin lessons.  She recently finished learning the very last song in Book 1 in Suzuki.  It was the longest song she has played so far.  

Here she is playing "Gavotte":

Think of Me Some More!

So, Jewelia really loves the Think of Me song from Phantom of the Opera.  First she played it on her violin, but now she has to sing it!

Here she is singing Think of Me while her brother accompanies her on piano:   
                     

Think of Me.....as a Zebra?

It is fall now, and it is getting colder outside.  Jewelia thought she looked cute in her mom's new Zebra hat.  

Inside, Jewelia has been learning a new song she picked out from the musical "Phantom of the Opera".  It is one of the longest songs she has ever played.  She finally finished learning it all last week.  It sounds a bit squeaky, but Jewelia's teacher tried playing it on Jewelia's violin and she decided that it was mostly fault of the violin.  She says the sound will continue to improve as Jewelia grows and moves up to a bigger size violin.  

Here she is playing "Think of Me":

Lovin' those Fiddle Songs

Jewelia really loves all the short little fiddle songs she can learn really fast.  Most of them have a teacher's duet part.  Some day we'll have to record them playing together at lessons, or maybe she'll play one at her next recital.  But, until then, you'll just have to hear the one side.

Here she is playing a different little tune called "Road to Boston":

The Happy Farmer; A Super Duet!

Jewelia has been working very hard with her violin, and she learned a new song that her brother used to play when he first started piano lessons.  It's called "The Happy Farmer".

We think this is her best song yet!

Back to School, Violin Show and Tell!

Jewelia is back in school now and she is in 2nd grade this year! She was so excited for the first week! On Friday, her class was to have show and tell, and so Jewelia thought it would be great to bring her violin to show the class.

She played her class 2 songs. One she is still working on, so we will wait to post that one later, but here she is playing another fiddle song, this time the teacher's part.

It is called "Bile 'Em Cabbage Down", whatever in the world that means.....

More Minuets for Jewelia!

Jewelia learned how to play 2 more Minuets.

Her mom remembers this one from when she used to take violin lessons so long ago!



Here she plays a very popular Minuet by Bach:

Beginning the Minuets

It's Summertime, so Jewelia is having lots of fun in the sun!

Since there is no school, there is lots of time to practice the violin.
In July, Jewelia began learning a series of Minuet songs.

First is Minuet 1:

Jewelia's Photo Shoot

Jewelia turned 6 years old and went in to get her 6 year old pictures taken.
She took her violin for some fun pictures and the studio submitted them to the national headquarters and they selected her pictures to be used nationwide in their advertising and photo books.

So now Jewelia will be famous! If any of you go to a Target, look for Jewelia's violin pictures!

Meanwhile, Jewelia was having fun learning a new fiddle song called "Cripple Creek":

Sing the National Anthem?

One day in early June, Jewelia's mom's work asked her if Jewelia could sing the National Anthem for a flag raising ceremony they were going to have.

Jewelia had never sang the Star Spangled Banner and didn't know the words, but she thought she could figure out the tune in the few short days before the event. (Only 2 days notice!)

She wasn't able to memorize it in time, so she had the words, but Jewelia did a pretty good job for her first National Anthem performance:

1st Taste of Fiddle Music

Jewelia was six years old now and getting bigger. She graduated into a bigger size violin! Her first violin was a 1/10 violin, but now she had grown enough to play on a 1/8 violin.

It was a little bigger and harder to get used to stretching her fingers more, but this bigger violin sounded much nicer.

Her teacher introduced her to fiddle music, and Jewelia liked it a lot.

Here she is playing her very first fiddle song:

Another Church Song

It was Easter time and Jewelia was almost 6 years old. She was still practicing her violin, but she also liked to sing. They asked Jewelia and her siblings to do a special musical number in church.

Jewelia and her oldest brother, Micah, would sing, and her other brother, Caleb, would play the piano. Her little sister, Macey, tried to sing during practice time, but she was too afraid to sing up in public just yet.

Here is a video of them practicing with everyone participating: