Wynne's performance

Today I went to Wynne's piano concerto performance. 

I covered piano teaching for this girl a few weeks back and then on the day of her exam she was so stressed her body went spaz and she had to go to the doctors. 

This is why her exam is so late in the month. But this meant I could finally watch her perform during university. 

I arrived at her house and tried to calm her nerves all the way to Melbourne uni. 

She brought her Winnie the Pooh pillow pet for comfort haha. 

Her whole fam bam was there to support. I can't remember what piece she played, I think it was one of Rachmaninoff's concertos though. She didn't really play with an orchestra but had her teacher accompany her on piano. It was pretty cool. 

This is Wynne practicing before her exam because I couldn't record or take photos during the performance. Apparently these two grands are the best in Melb Uni. 

It was over in an instant and it made me think about my past piano exams. While I understand the necessity for exams, I really dislike them. We practice really freaking hard for months and then play in front of like 1-3 people under stressful conditions. This isn't what music should be about, though it often is the focus when we are learning and growing. I much preferred my music days before going through AMEB. I was a much better pianist then because my piano teacher taught me how to perform for crowds of people, not just for exams. I'm so grateful for my first piano teacher because of her enthusiasm and joy in music. It's something that I have carried with me my entire life and something I strive to share with my own students. Piano should be about sharing music and conveying emotions for people to enjoy, not forcing kids to learn songs they don't like for one examiner. 

After the exam I ate at Shyun's Ramen Bar with her family. It was pretty nice, though I felt really thirsty after.