2008 October » Love is the most excellent way

Ben driving

Oct 272008

Ben now has a driving permit!

He turned 15 1/2 last week. At that age his school provides paperwork allowing students enrolled in a future driver’s education course to get a permit.

Ben went to get the paperwork the day he turned 15 1/2 and asked if we could go to a driver’s license facility first thing Saturday. He spent his free time last week reading the Illinois Rules of the Road. In order to get a permit you have to pass a written test based on that book.

He was nervous about the written test but it turned out to be easy for him. By 9 a.m. Saturday he was the excited owner of a driving permit. As I expected, he was ready to find an empty parking lot on the way home and have his first driving experience. Continue reading »

IMEA results and other music news

General updates, Music No Responses »

Oct 242008

Ben and Esther both recently auditioned for the Illinois Music Educators Association district orchestras, Esther for Junior High and Ben for High School.

They both did well. Esther will be sitting third chair of the first violins and Ben is principal second violin (he was ranked third – they put a strong player at the front of the second violins). Because of how he was ranked Ben also qualified to participate in the All State Honors Orchestra in January.

Esther’s IMEA concert is on November 1st and Ben’s is on November 22.

Ben and Esther are also both entering the Oak Park River Forest Symphony Concerto Competition this year, Esther on violin playing the last movement of the Beethoven Violin Concerto and Ben on piano playing Liszt’s first Piano Concerto. That will take place November 15.

In their fall school orchestra auditions they both came second, which means Esther is principal second violin and Ben is assistant concertmaster (second chair of the first violins).

Health update: now I’m trying Humira

Crohn's Disease 2 Responses »

Oct 142008

I was sent home after my two nights in the hospital on two antibiotics. It turned out that these made me very nauseated.

I called my doctor’s office the following Monday to see if I could stop them. That was also the day of my weekly blood test to monitor my Imuran levels.

The doctor called later and asked me to stop everything because my blood test showed abnormally high liver enzymes. She said it could be a drug reaction and I was certainly hoping it was since I have enough wrong with me already . She asked about me taking Tylenol – I now realize that even amounts that don’t exceed the recommended maximum dose can have that effect on liver enzymes, but I didn’t know that then. Continue reading »

West Suburban Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition 2008

Music No Responses »

Oct 092008

Ben participated in this competition last Saturday (October 4).

When we got there we realized he was up against stiff competition. Another violinist in it did better than him in two competitions he was in last year. Also, of the 12 finalists there were 6 pianists and some of them were playing very challenging repertoire. And they only pick one winner.

So he wasn’t surprised when he didn’t get the ‘winners’ phone call. But he played his best and both performances went well. (We don’t have any recordings because it was a closed competition.)

He got the comments from the two judges in the mail yesterday. They wrote comments and graded him using a four grade system. One judge gave him the highest grade on everything in the Shostakovich (violin) and wrote very glowing comments about his technique and musicality. That judge also praised his musicality in the Liszt (piano). The other judge also wrote some nice comments. He got the highest or second highest grade on everything from both judges on both instruments. Although he didn’t win, the comments are helpful and encouraging.

Ben will be performing the Shostakovich with his school orchestra in December since he won their concerto competition with it. He’s going to continue entering competitions with the Liszt until the CSO competition next March.