Bachtoberfest

We held our first (annual?) Bachtoberfest just last weekend, and kudos to all who participated.  Even my brandie-new beginners took a turn in the spotlight.  As their teacher, I was absolutely thrilled!  We started working on this event way back in August.  

(Almost) everyone learned a Bach composition: Minuet in G, Prelude and Fugue in C, Solfeggietto, to name a few.  We started by looking for patterns, melodic, rhythmic, to help make sense of the whole.  Next we aimed to make those melodies sing, to meet Bach's cantabile instructions.  In most cases, we truly appreciated the "sewing machine" nickname given to Baroque-era music.  It just goes on and on, with hardly time to breathe!  

We found our breath between performances.  Paying homage to the German flavor of the evening, we enjoyed bratwurst and pretzels!  And in keeping with the season, between bites, we also enjoyed some Halloween tunes.  

Bachtoberfest was an adult event.  My kids performed their Halloween recital yesterday.  Oh, what a hoot!  Sponsored by the Frederick County Music Teachers Association, there were 77 participants, representing 10 county teachers.  Certainly the largest group event for this group.  Kids and teachers alike, even a few parents, arrived in costume: angels and ninjas, witches and cats.  The music ran the gamut as well, from absolute beginner to quite polished advanced musician.  One high scholar in particular performed her own composition, including percussion which she had previously recorded to accompany her spectacular piano performance.  What a day!

And what a month!  Music, music everywhere.  Even the church choir is singing again.  Makes my heart glad.  Oh, we're still wearing masks, of course.  But what a thrill, to be able to gather and enjoy making music together.  The beat goes on...