Dear KarrLayn

You make me laugh. You're goofy, you're funny, you're fun and you're sweet and that all adds up to one fantastic woman. There have been a few women in my life who have been there for me when my mom couldn't be (i.e. at high school, during college, etc.), and you are definitely one of them.

Thanks for listening to me, and thanks for understanding me when I talked about disappointments and frustrations. As I discovered things about life I didn't necessarily like, you nodded and smiled a sad smile and said you had been there, too. And you cried with me. That helped immensely.

It was so much fun playing in steel drums with you. The interactions between you and Brandon made me laugh so often. What an adventure! We've been to Florida, Tennessee, Orcas Island and Bermuda together, and I'd always hoped we'd make it to Europe. At least one of us got to go on tour there!

Thanks for being patient with me and kindly being honest with me all the time. Thanks, too, for introducing me to your daughter. Many happy exchanges have happened between she and I and I can see where she got her beauty, for sure! :) (Hint: It wasn't Brandon.) :)

You're the lucky one who gets a "Thank You" blog from me on Mother's Day, so Happy Mother's Day to one of the world's finest. Lots of Love and a Big Hug from me to you.

Thank you for being such a wonderful second mother.

Love,
Becky

Dear Brandon

You've taught me a lot about being a musician. You have high yet realistic expectations and I appreciate your expertise. You've given me opportunities I never would have had otherwise: Learning steel Drums, playing at Disneyland, visiting Bermuda, discovering the excitement of playing all different percussion instruments, and the joy of making fun of one of the world's most fun directors. (Ahem - that's you.)

I really miss being in band, and I miss going on tours with you and your family. One day soon I hope to be able to join the wind symphony again...maybe next year when Kayla is older. I look forward to learning more Holsinger pieces, playing some more Jack Stamp numbers and perhaps performing in a Soundtrack Concert. (I can do without the Sousa, though...really.)

My eyes have been opened to a whole new world of music since performing in a group under your direction, and I've had more fun being in your band than in any other group in my life. I've also been a part of your group for longer than any other; I was in bell choir, band and choir in high school for three years, and band in elementary school for 4, but I was a part of yours for eight. And I wouldn't trade them for the world.

Thanks for being patient with me, for befriending me, for letting me explore different percussion instruments, and for giving me the opportunity to expand my musical horizons. Thanks for taking me to new places - Tennessee, Florida, Orcas Island, Bermuda - and for giving me the chance to perform at Disneyland. (So awesome!)

Thanks, too, for being a good friend. It's still weird sometimes to call you Brandon and not Mr. Beck, but I'm adjusting. :) I'm glad I know you, and I look forward to performing in your wind symphony again soon.

The One Who Was Two When You Graduated from College,
Becky

Little Drummer Girl

After yesterday's concert, Kayla decided she wanted to expand her repertoire, so she's picked up percussion now, too. Here she is, practicing on the bongos she got for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa Sevison. These are much more colourful than the piano - and they light up when she hits the right spot!

Concert Mistress

Today Kayla gave us a wonderful concert on the piano. I recorded some video but it tends to take forever to upload so perhaps I'll post it to my other blog some other time (when I'm not headed to bed). She was adorable and LOVED that what she was doing was making such sounds. She squealed and squawked and bounced on Daddy's lap in her excitement. What a passionate pianist she'll be someday!

Back Where I Belong

Yesterday Brandon (director of the WW University wind symphony and orchestra) called me up and asked if I was available to play tympani this Sabbath. I said of course I was and when did he want me at rehearsal? So tonight I went to orchestra and not only got to play, but I also got to watch one of the student conductors rehearsing. He did AMAZING. I was very impressed and really feel he's a natural who will accomplish great things with whatever group he ends up working with after graduation. In this picture, Devon, the regular tympanist, is playing tympani with the student conductor directing. The music I did is a Shostakovitch piece that was really fun to play. I'm looking forward to Sabbath!

A Rebuttal

In response to my supposition that Kayla would be a percussionist (see yesterday's post), Jason took this picture of her preparing to become a woodwind player. She obligingly drooled down the length of his clarinet. But she'd be the cutest clarinetist ever, right?

An Early Start

The university's orchestra and choir put on a concert for the visiting academy students tonight. They are here for our biennial choral and orchestra festival, during which they have 3 intense days full of rehearsals culminating in a Saturday afternoon concert. The students come from around the northwest and it's always very popular and enjoyable. Before the concert tonight (which was a, "Here's what you can be a part of if you come here for college" concert) Kayla and I had fun playing with some congas we found sitting by one of the pews. I showed her how they worked, and she actually tried it out on her own a few minutes later. A budding percussionist, I tell you!

High Class Dining

This morning Kayla woke up at 5:30 wanting to eat. So I got up, fed her, and put her (sleeping!) back into the crib. She instantly woke up and talked to herself for 10 minutes before getting fussy. I rocked her back to sleep and again she woke up when I put her in the crib. So I took her out to the living room for an hour and then put her back to bed. This time she stayed out. Until almost 10 a.m. The Wind Symphony was playing for church and Jason had to be there at 10:30. So while I finished getting ready, Jason fed Kayla. In his tux. It was awesome.

Here's the wind symphony at church (the University Church, that is). See the director standing with his back to the camera? Look at about 11:00 from him in the second row and there's Jason. He's playing 3rd clarinet this year. The music was great. I enjoyed it from the balcony in the mother's room.

Thriller!

Here's Kayla, taking a cat nap on the floor after we got home from Grandma's this afternoon. I think she's dreaming a Michael Jackson music video. She looks like she's dancing with the video in her head. Weird, since she's never heard that song or seen the video...

A Hiscock-St. Clair Sabbath

Tonight we had our friends Damie and Jared over for dinner. Jason had offered to help Jared with his senior outline (the final papers you turn in your senior year to show you'll have completed all the requirements and qualify to march at graduation), and Jared and Damie were going to work on music with me. I had already asked Jared and Damie to do special music with me this Sabbath, and we were planning on it. Then I got a call from this week's chorister asking me to fill in. So I asked the Hiscocks and they were very happy to help. So Damie is playing piano while Jared and I lead song service and do special music. This is the song we've chosen for special music. It's number 606 in the Adventist Hymnal and it's absolutely beautiful. The words are a bit heavy, but it's a lovely song. You should give it a try. Better yet, come hear us sing it on Sabbath at the Milton Church!

The End

Perhaps not the most flattering picture of me ever, but it's me, pregnant, at my last WWU Wind Symphony concert. Tonight we had our 2009 secular concert at WWVA, and it was a pretty good concert. Not our best, but good. We played Superman, some Holst, Symphonic Dance No. 3, and more. Oh, and one of my favourites: Aloft! (And yes, it has that exclamation point in the name of the piece.) I'm standing here at the xylophone, which I played more than once tonight. I also played marimba (with four mallets!), maraccas, bass drum, tympani, chimes, vibraphone, and triangle. Ah, the joys of being a percussionist - you don't ever get bored with your instrument!

Well, so long, Wind Symphony...it's been a wonderful 8 years, and as soon as I can, I'll play with you again. Thanks, Brandon, for letting me be a part of this group for so long. I will miss playing with this group.

This is My Life

I'm a musician. It's what I do. It's what I've always done. Unfortunately, since graduating from college, involvement in music has been much more limited, due to having a full-time job and all. And, sadly, after this year, I won't be in wind symphony anymore. I'll have a baby to take care of, and both Jason and I can't be in the group. So next Thursday's concert is my last wind symphony concert. After 8 years, this is the end. I will miss it like nothing I've missed before (save Jason when I went to London for 3 months), I know. This is the section that's been my home away from home for 8 years. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening since September 2001. I've got a week to say goodbye...and I've got my ideas. :)

Rock Band

Today we did something different. Instead of eating at our house, we all went over to Ruth's boyfriend's apartment for breakfast. Ruth and Nick made pancakes, Jason and I made coffee cake, and Mom & Dad brought the juice. After breakfast (which was delicious, by the way), we hooked up Rock Band and got ready to play. The best part: We actually talked my parents into trying it out. That's my dad attempting to figure out what he's supposed to do on the guitar. Jason's holding the mic, I'm at the drums behind my dad, and Ruth is to the left of the photo with the other guitar. It was a family rock band! Mom played guitar, too, but after one song, both Mom and Dad decided to just let the kids play. They fell asleep! How they did that with Rock Band blaring I don't know. But it was great fun. Below: The pregnant lady takes to the guitar (note Dad in the background...)!