Christmas Concert

When I was in high school, my band director Mr. B. asked me to play the bells for a couple songs for a concert that had a bell part. Probably he picked me because I could play the piano and it converted over nicely to the bells and although I'm not proud to admit it, I really was dispensable on the flute. But because I had to stand up and walk back and forth between the two instruments, I got a new dress for the occasion. For me, this was a big deal. I remember it clearly and can still see the floral-printed, ruffly dress in my memory. I still remember the banana clip I wore my curly permed hair in that night.

Last week was Bianca's elementary school orchestra's Christmas Concert. Bianca decided she would play double bass for the songs that had a separate bass line (not the same as the cellos) and she would play viola for the songs that did.

Here's Bianca playing bass in a Christmas medley.

Next is one of my favorite Christmas songs that you don't often hear. It's supposed to sound like the camels traveling across the desert on the journey to see the baby Jesus. Bianca's plucking (as opposed to bowing as she was on the first video) on double bass here.

Then Bianca played a solo on her viola of "I Wonder as I Wander."

Bianca had her friend Hayle spend the night after the concert. We stopped at Menchie's for frozen yogurt on our way home, which is a tradition that my parents started to stop for ice cream after a concert or special performance. Here are the girls at Menchie's.

Strangely, this black-and-white dress is a Christmas dress from like four years ago Bianca chose because they were supposed to wear black and white. Yes, that's my ten-year-old daughter wearing a size six dress. Remarkably, it still fits. She is small, which makes the fact that she plays the double bass even funnier. But still, this is a far cry from the special new dress I got for my concert, but hey, that's what she chose to wear.