When I Grow Up, I Want To Be A ....

I found this book from RD's primary school days. It is a collation of what the year 6 children wanted to be when they grew up.

Eleven-year old RD had written:

When I grow up, I want to be a pianist because I like playing it, it's fun, and I'm good at it.

I didn't take it seriously back then even if I knew that music ran deeply in his veins.

In his last years of High School, he chose to take English as a Second Language (ESL), the usual Math, Math Extension, Physics, Software Design and Development, Business Studies, plus Music.  I remember accompanying him to school when he was year 11 to talk with his music teacher so that he could change classes from Music 1 to Music 2 because he wanted more out of his Music classes.  I didn't realise at that time that this was a strategic move on his part.  I just thought he didn't find Music 1 challenging enough for him.  Music 1 was geared towards music performance while Music 2 is more theory-based, more serious and is oriented towards a higher study of music.  

I knew he loved playing the piano but I didn't realise that he LOVED playing the piano.  This reality sank in when the time came for him to choose a course for university and he announced that he wanted to go to the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (the Con), study Music Education, and become a music teacher.

I would imagine that people who go for the Con are those that have had continuous lessons on their instrument of choice since they were very, very young. Plus they would have their respective instructors around to guide them and train them in preparation for the Con audition.  This was not really the case for RD.

MacGyver's mom is a piano major and a piano teacher. She gave piano lessons to all of her grandchildren, RD included.  He could not have had a better teacher to start him off with the piano. RD had his first lessons in 2006 when he was eight.  These would be given on weekends when we visited MacGyver's folks.  MacGyver's mom would announce, "Time for piano lessons," and the grandchildren would promptly take their turn in front of the baby grand piano in the living room for their piano lessons.   

We moved to Australia in October 2009.  RD may not have had piano lessons but he still loved to play the piano.  I sent out this message to my family in November

RD volunteered to play the piano at school for their week 7 "walk-in".  Every Monday, as the children walk into the hall for the Monday morning gathering (and announcements), some other children perform.  On the 2nd week of school, they were asking for volunteers to perform for the coming weeks  and  RD volunteered to play THE ENTERTAINMENT [sic]. He was slated for week 7 (which is next week).  When we moved out of MumofFive's place (where they have several keyboards), MumofFive's sister lent us her daughter's keyboards.  However, this was a temporary loan and MacGyver didn't want the children's interest in music to be cut-off by the loss of the musical instrument.

So after hours of trying to find a decent bargain at eBay, checking out websites and physical music stores, we finally decided to get the kids new keyboards.

http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail.html?CNTID=555809

That Welcome to the Jungle booklet came out in December 2009.

RD quickly outgrew the Yamaha NP 30 we had purchased in November 2009.  In August 2011, his keyboard got upgraded to a Yamaha P95B. The P95B is also a digital piano but has 88 keys as compared to the 76 keys of the NP 30 he was using.  The new keyboard feels more like a piano, having weighted keys, which MAcGyver believed would help RD develop the right technique in piano playing. We got him a decent piano bench in May 2013 and later on he got a good piano pedal c/o his pianist godmother.

All this time RD was practicing on his own and learning by himself.   In 2014, when it was very apparent that RD was really serious about playing the piano, we got him started with piano lessons. His piano teacher had been his Music teacher in Year 9.  He was an alumnus of the High School who had graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium.  He lived nearby and was giving piano lessons part time.  It was perfect for RD.  

RD's piano lessons went on for almost two years until his teacher left for London in mid-2015 to pursue further studies.  This left RD on his own as he took his Year 12 Music Assessments, the HSC (High School Certificate) exams, and the audition for the Conservatorium. 

The 2nd of December 2015.  RD had spent many hours practicing for this day.  This was the day that would determine whether or not he would get started on a career in Music.  This was the day of his audition at the Con.

His audition was held in the morning.  MacGyver drove him to the Con and waited outside while the auditions were being held.  RD had prepared three pieces to play.  When the audition was over, MacGyver asked how it went.  RD said he was not sure because he was nervous, he made a couple of mistakes, they had stopped him soon after he had started playing his pieces, and they didn't even ask for his third piece.  In addition, he said he was a tad intimidated at the number of people that sat in his panel.  His friend who had her violin audition the week before had a panel of four while he had at least seven.

The audition was only the first of a series of hurdles RD had to get through before getting an offer for his chosen course at the Con.  He still had a music skills test scheduled for that afternoon and he needed to pass an interview to get into the university's Music Education program.  If he didn't pass his audition, he would not get a call for an interview.  RD also had to get acceptable HSC and ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) results to be eligible for the course.  He had completed his HSC exams in Octoberr and was just waiting for the HSC and ATAR results due for release in the middle of December.

MacGyver and RD had an early lunch together after the audition.  Since MacGyver had work that afternoon, he just dropped RD off at the Con before heading off.  I offered to pass by RD after his sight reading test so that he would have company in the bus ride going home.  Fortunately my boss allowed me to work from home.  We want RD to feel that we are there for him in case he needs us.

RD and I met at the Botanical Garden right beside the Con. I asked him to pose for some pictures.  I posted them last year under RD at the Sydney Conservatorium.    I wanted to capture RD at this turning point in his life as he embarked on his journey in pursuit of his dreams.  If you read the caption on the first picture, I had written "This is the first of many pictures of RD and the Conservatorium."   At that time, RD had just finished his audition and although he was done with his HSC exams, he had not received the results yet. We didn't know his ATAR, we did not know if he would get an interview at the Con, we did not know if he would get an offer to study there, yet I was optimistic that RD would get in.

Today, eighteen year old RD said:

When I grow up, I want to be a pianist (still true) because I like playing it (still true), it's fun (still true), and I'm good at it (now I'm not so sure).

RD at the Sydney Conservatorium

Wednesday, 02 December 2015

MacGyver drove RD to the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

RD had been practicing for his audition for months.

RD's audition was at 10:30 AM. 

He said that despite being used to playing for a big audience at school,

seeing seven people in the panel sort of panicked him.

He could not tell how the audition went
because he had prepared three pieces
but they only asked him to play two.
(And he only got through part of the two pieces.)

Father and son had brunch together in the city after the audition.

RD had several other tests and MacGyver had to go to work.

That left RD on his own for the afternoon.

(I got the blow-by-blow report via text messages.)

I decided I'd work from home  so that I could pass by RD 
and we could ride the bus home together. 

oo00oo

This is the first of many pictures of RD and the Conservatorium.

The Conservatorium is a nice scenic place close to the Harbour Bridge.

We were trying to get the Conservatorium in the background

but we couldn't even see ourselves as we attempted to take our selfies.

More Than Just Classical Music

MacGyver and RD were listening to this the other day.  I heard bits and pieces of it and wanted to see the whole video.



I hope that that I am able to make some people's eyes shine and remember to never say anything that could not stand as the last thing I say to someone.

Have a good day, everyone!

(It's the last day of my two week leave.)

More Musicians in the Family

We watched the kids perform last night.  Oh!! I was so proud of them!   (Thank goodness for those musical genes from MacGyver.)

I have never tuned it to the orchestra more than when watching last night's performance.  I heard RD play the accordion part during "Be Our Guest" and I managed to hear MyGirl playing all throughout the musical.   Both were very impressive!   (I admit I couldn't tell when RD was playing the synth and  I also couldn't discern the trumpet which their first cousin was playing.)

We took some pictures during the intermission.

Here is my bass guitarist with her dad...

... and my accordion/synth player laughing at a joke his brother was telling him. 

Beauty and the Beast

The two younger kids happily surprised me by getting themselves involved in their school musical, Beauty and the Beast.  RD got recruited to play the synthesizer as a secondary piano, and was later tasked with playing the accordion, and MyGirl joined soon after to play the bass guitar. Prior to the school musical, these kids had not held these instruments before.  Apparently the fact that RD plays the piano well and MyGirl is pretty good at the guitar was enough to land them parts in the orchestra.  OK, it was mainly because the orchestra conductor is RD's piano teacher and MyGirl's music teacher in year 7 who was in dire need of musicians to join the orchestra.

The accordion RD uses belongs to a friend of the conductor. I never realised that an accordion is a huge instrument.  When I first saw the case, I couldn't help but think of my grandmother's sewing machine.   

It has a beautiful sound, though.  And apparently, it takes a person with long arms to play.

The musical is scheduled for the second week of June so the kids are practising more often now.  Some days they have rehearsals for the whole day. They even have musical practice on Sundays.  Last Sunday, MacGyver had work on Sunday so he reminded me that I had to drive the kids to school in time for their 10 AM practice.  I had no problems with that.  The school is less than ten minutes away.  

I woke up bright and early on Sunday (not as early as MacGyver who was out of the house by 5 AM) and did some chores.  I looked around for the accordion which is usually in the middle of the living room when RD brings it home.  I couldn't find it.  

I checked RD's room, just in case he had practised upstairs, but it was not there.  I was hoping against hope that it was not in the car which MacGyver had brought to work.  

At about 7:00, I sent him a FB message, a G-mail chat message, a text message, and I tried to call him twice.   No answer.

I was starting to get worried.  We had been in the general area of MacGyver's office the night before for dinner with some friends but I was in the passenger's seat and obviously not paying attention to the directions, the correct lanes and the turns to take.  We had talked about driving together to his office so that I could be confident to accompany GI there and back but never got around to doing so.   (As a learner, GI needs a certain amount of driving time practice in order to be eligible to take the driver's test to move him to a P-plate.  Only when he has his P-plate can he drive on his own.  We figured driving to and from MacGyver's office would rack up his miles, so to speak, since the office is about 18 km away from home, approximately 20 to 30 minutes drive.)  The farthest I've driven from home is less than 10 km.  The local mall is about 2 km away and I would rather walk than drive.

So there I was, MacGyver at the office, kids still asleep, no accordion in sight, and time running out.

At 8:00 I decided to wake RD up and ask him if they had brought the accordion home the Friday before.  It was entirely possible that the accordion was in school and there was no need to worry.  Sadly he confirmed that MacGyver had picked them up from school that Friday and that they had put the accordion in the car.  

RD was still half-asleep so he did not realise the implications of his reply until I said, "Yes, the car that is with Dad?" 

I rang MacGyver up on his office landline.  He was away from his desk when I called so for me that meant he would have a chance to see my messages and missed calls.  When we got to talk, he apologised for forgetting to off load the accordion and gave me additional instructions on where to meet.

We managed to meet up (after I got lost because I missed a turn), so RD was able to make it to practice on time with an accordion.   

Thank goodness for second cars, GPS, mobile phones, and my trusty navigator RD (who interpreted the GPS and would yell, "That's not yet the turn, Mom.  Go straight!  Go straight!)

========

We decided to get MyGirl a second hand bass guitar so that she could practice playing at home.  

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would see MyGirl playing a bass guitar and RD an accordion.

So I would like thank their school, their teacher, and of course

Beauty

and

the Beast.

(I love you, RD!)

Note : RD knew I had taken a picture of the two of them and that I was drafting this blog post.  I told him that the original title was "The Things You Do for Love" but was about to rename it as "Beauty and the Beast."  When I teased RD about the final title in conjunction with the two photos I was about to post (Beauty ... and the Beast), his response was "That's so rude to MyGirl!"    Let it be known that he vehemently objects that this blog post is not reflective of his envisioned photos to match captions .

Angel Beats

When RD was hospitalised before Christmas, one of the items he asked MacGyver to bring for him was his headphones so that he could listen to music.  Being RD, he requested his dad to add a splitter to the list so that I would be able to listen to his music with him.   

So that is what we did at the hospital when RD was not busy beating me at cards, we listened to his music together as we lay side by side on his hospital bed.

I was happily surprised to find that his playlist was not too loud.  In fact, many of the songs were quite relaxing.  Some of the music we listened to were familiar because they were pieces that RD had learned to play on the piano and occasionally practice without his headphones plugged in.  One of them was My Soul, Your Beats! which is the opening music of one of the animes he watches.   

After our hospital stint, I asked RD to copy over some of his anime music into my phone.

On my way home from the office the other day, I listened my RECENTLY ADDED songs.  As a result, RD's music ended up playing in my head.  So much so that last week, while MyGirl and I were working in the kitchen, I started whistling the tune I could hear in my head.

MyGirl burst out in laughter, "Mom! I know that song."  She recognised the song because RD had recently introduced his animes to her.  

Oops!  That's what I get for thinking out loud.

Listen to the song.  Check out 2:57 to about 3:25 and maybe you will understand why.

The Piano Guys

It's the First week of Advent so Christmas music is more than appropriate.

This is what happens when you have one piano and four piano guys.

Shibuya Station

When we reached the end of the Hachi movie, I found out that the real Hachiko waited at Shibuya Station and this song came to mind.  

Since our move to Australia, our Benoit CDs (and most of our other CDs) have been in storage.  My boys think I am living in the Dark Ages when I tell them I want to listen to my CDs.  I don't even try to defend myself because I still feel 1 MB is pretty huge considering I remember our first Apple compatible PC running on 64 K.  Gigabytes still sound like giant numbers to me having lived in the age were I was already amazed at 3 1/2" disks (with 1.44 MB)  replacing 5 1/4" floppy disks.  

Oh well, let me go look for sticks so I can start a fire.

First Day of Spring

Good bye, Winter.  Hello, Spring.

It is the first day of September.  It is the first day of Spring.  

It is also First Saturday.  

On First Saturdays, I like to go off and catch early mass.   

I walked past these flowers only to double back to take a snap shot.

This song was in my head...  Ballad for Kay by Acoustic Alchemy.

Perhaps my thought waves were strong this morning because when MacGyver tried to install an application on my phone when I got home, this was the first song on the playlist.

School Concert

Last 24 August, the whole family trooped over to the boys' High School to watch the school concert. The boys had auditioned separately to join the concert. RD joined his Year 8 class for their rendition on Mamma Mia. There were so many kids playing the keyboards, including RD, plus his classmate was blocking my view, that I couldn't tell when RD was playing.

GI was the sixth performer in Act Two. His was a solo act where he played Classical Gas. The programme had "Guitar solo performance by GI of Year 12. GI will present this piece as part of his HSC Music Performance Repertoire."

I had brought my camera although I vaguely recalled a memo saying we were not allowed to take any pictures and video. When I saw that the person on the first row was taking video using an honest to goodness video camera all throughout the first Act, not to mention the mob of high school students that positioned themselves with their phone cameras in the middle aisle when a dance number came up, I figured it would be acceptable to take a video of GI when his turn came up.

So during the intermission, I brought out my camera to test the battery charge and the video function. The battery was charged all right but I discovered that the camera didn't have an SD card inside! I had asked transferred some photos from the camera to the laptop the night before and what I had in the camera at that point was the micro SD card adapter that was usually in the laptop.

NOOOOOOO!!!!!

But obviously, yes, the camera was useless for taking the video that night.

So we had to go with Plan B -- the cellphone.

Here is GI playing Classical Gas. (Special thanks to MacGyver for editing the video so that we could comply with the school's policy [which I think] states that we are not supposed to post photos or video of other people on the internet without their permission.)

Penguin Movement

For his Music assessment, RD had to compose a short melody that represents an animal (choices were monkey, mouse, hippopotamus or penguin). He had to consider note values, pitch and tone colour/instrument. It had to be at least 4 bars long and it was to be notated correctly.

RD chose a penguin.

When he'd finished entering his composition in NoteWorthy, he passed on the headphones to me and let me listen to it. It was cute.

Right after he played it, he said, "Wait, wait."

He proceeded to highlight the notes in the middle and changed them from eighth notes to quarter notes. Then he let me listen to the revised composition.

"Which is better? This one or the first one?" he asked.

Arrggghhh, I thought. This reminds me of the part in my visits to the ophthalmologist that I dislike, the part where I have to choose where the letters are clearer -- green one or red one, this one ... flip... or this one... flip. I don't mind it when the difference is clear but sometimes I honestly can't tell. The image is clearer but the letters are smaller. Arrggghhh!!!

Thankfully, it was easy to decide between the two penguin compositions. The quarter note version had more character. "I like the second one better, RD."

Video coming soon

Not Your Ordinary Music Box

I didn't realize that music boxes could have these many notes. It's simply amazing!

Music boxes have always fascinated me.

I have collected a number over the years.

The first music box I remember was a brown jewelry box with a ballerina inside. To wind the music box, one had to use the key located in the back of the box. When wound, the music would play when the jewelry box was opened. The ballerina would stand up and turn as the music played. We lost the key to the music box at a certain point in time and had to use a bobby pin to wind the movement. Over the years, the music box got over-wound, the ballerina got lost and only the jewelry box remained.

Then someone gave me two music box movements, my first Hurdy Gurdy pieces. I would take them out of the box and put them on my brown table. (The music resonates better when the Hurdy Gurdy is played over a wood surface.) I would turn the crank and listen to the music play. I would watch as the teeth of the steel comb would make a sound as they hit one or more of the pins found in the rotating cylinder. I could choose the speed at which the music played by controlling the crank.

Mother would sometimes get me music boxes or music box movements from the San Francisco Music Box Company whenever they find themselves in that side of the States. My siblings have also kept a look out for music boxes and music box movements for me over the years.

Though I love my music box collection, I am partial to the ones that play Pachelbel's Canon in D and the theme from Somewhere in Time (Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini).

However, I must admit that the music box I wish I could listen to more often is the one that plays Silent Night. Check it out here.

You are Mine

15 August 2010.

Today is supposed to be a special day.

Odds and ends of thoughts race through my mind today.

A former officemate of mine passed away a couple of weeks ago.

She had been diagnosed with cancer last year before we left for Australia.

This song is playing in my head today.

Can I request for this to be played during my funeral mass?

YOU ARE MINE

by David Haas

I will come to you in the silence
I will lift you from all your fear
You will hear My voice
I claim you as My choice
Be still, and know I am near

I am hope for all who are hopeless
I am eyes for all who long to see
In the shadows of the night,
I will be your light
Come and rest in Me

Chorus
Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine

I am strength for all the despairing
Healing for the ones who dwell in shame
All the blind will see, the lame will all run free
And all will know My name

Chorus
Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine

I am the Word that leads all to freedom
I am the peace the world cannot give
I will call your name, embracing all your pain
Stand up, now, walk, and live

Chorus
Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine

/*

Sentimentale

MacGyver sent me this link. That was his gentle reminder that I should practice my flute. He said he'd play the keyboard part if I learned the part for the flute. (Please note the white hair on the pianist.)

I Will

Who knows how long I've loved you
You know I love you still
Will I wait a lonely lifetime
If you want me to, I will.

For if I ever saw you
I didn't catch your name
But it never really mattered
I will always feel the same.

Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you whenever we're together
Love you when we're apart.

And when at last I find you
Your song will fill the air
Sing it loud so I can hear you
Make it easy to be near you
For the things you do endear you to me
Oh, you know, I will
I will.

The Smile

MacGyver recently burned a compilation of songs for me. I didn't ask him what the criteria was for the selection but I figure they are songs which he knows I like, songs he likes me to hear, and perhaps songs which he associates with me.

This is one of the songs in the CD he made for me. It's a nice song although it is quite sad.

All I can say for now, when I listen to this song, is that I can't afford to lose my smile.

Breathe

It is First Friday today.

There is a song playing in my head.

I first heard the song at the Greenbelt Chapel (Sto. Nino de Paz). I didn't know its title then. I was happy to hear it again here at St. Bernadette's Parish the other Sunday.

It made me miss home, though. Maybe that is why the song keeps playing in my head.

(Here is the jazzed up version of Breathe. The one they sing at church is much more solemn.)

Early Morning Music

I like to play music when I go about doing things around the house. GI is my trusty disc jockey when he is around. I would say, "Music, please," and he would unplug his headphones and share the music he was listening to (unless he was busy playing a game that would conflict with the multi-media player). If GI provides the sounds, it would typically be Michael Buble with GI singing along in the background.

I brought quite a number of CDs from Manila and was fortunate enough to get a Sony Discman from a FreeCycler here in Australia. We also got some amps and speakers from another FreeCycler which MacGyver set up. So in the morning, when the rest of the family are still asleep, I play some of my favorite CDs, including this one.

Yoyo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone -- definitely a great CD!

Skype Reunion

We scheduled a Skype reunion the other day. I had sent of an excel file with our respective time zones and had blocked off time slots between midnight and 5 am (even if I know of family members that move furniture at 3am).

I thought it would be easier for us to get together since some family members had flown off to be with family or in-laws for the holidays. J was in the home country, Mindy had flown in on New Year's Eve to be with Eldest Sis, both Sunshine and Slash-M were spending Christmas and New Year's with in-laws. That meant we had less countries and time zones to juggle.

Given the countries and the time difference, the most feasible time slot I found was

9 am 04 Jan -- Sydney (me)

6 am 04 Jan -- Manila (Father, Mother, J and Z)

11 pm 03 Jan -- Spain (Sister Deer) and Sweden (Slash-M)

10pm 03 Jan -- London (London Eye and Sunshine)

5pm 03 Jan -- New Jersey (Jersey Girl) and Virginia (Eldest Sis and Mindy).

Most of us were able to log-in and chat. We got to hear Eldest Sis' daughter play the violin. I was fortunate enough to get GI to play the guitar for everyone to hear. It was an impromptu performance on his part. He wasn't looking at a piece or anything. He just played away -- Ouray by Andy McKee.

(Until I am able to get a video of GI playing, people will have to make do with the original artist.)

On Stage

One of the highlights of the Primary School's activities is the concert that is held in December wherein all the children are encouraged to participate. There are two concerts -- Concert A features the Kindergarten to Year 4 students while Concert B has Years 5 and 6. The event is held at the Hills Centre for the Performing Arts which is a popular venue for such events. The Hills Centre Main Auditorium has a big stage and has a seating capacity from 300 to 1500. This means that there is more than enough space for the parents, grandparent, siblings and friends who want to watch the children perform.

Tickets were being sold as early as October. We had barely just set foot on Australia when we were informed that we should buy tickets already. In fact the children hadn't even started at the school when we purchased four tickets each for both of the concerts. All we knew was that (a) there was going to be a concert in December, (b) MyGirl was going to be in Concert A while RD was going to be in Concert B by virtue of their years, and (c) we would make it a family event meaning nobody was to be left at home on concert night.

The tickets were by no means cheap. Upon seeing the ticket cost, RD exclaimed, "Oh! The concert costs more than an adult ticket for the movies!" However, as we watched the children on stage, I knew that it was worth every cent.

The kids started school in mid-October. They caught the last term of the schoolyear. Since the concert was scheduled for December, they were constantly practicing and rehearsing their songs and dance numbers. We heard them singing Rhythm of Life and Around the World. They would also be singing songs assigned to other children like Ease on Down the Road, You Can't Stop the Beat, Born to Hand Jive, You Can't Stop the Beat, Bohemian Rhapsody, Go West, Doe a Deer, Barbie Girl, Get This Party Started, Uh Oh We're In Trouble, Thriller, Boom Boom Pow, Can You Feel It? and I Got a Feeling.

Last week, they brought their costumes home. MyGirl had to wear black leggings. The school provided a black singlet (chemise/sando) and a glittery silver skirt for her to wear. RD had a red satin shirt assigned to him, which he wore with jeans.

When we arrived at the Hills Centre, we saw how equally glittery the other costumes were. It was quite impressive. The effort that went into the whole production was astounding. One could see the excitement in the children's eyes and the pride that went into being a part of the whole event.

Concert A started promptly at 5 pm. MyGirl who is in Year 3 was in the second part of Concert A. The first part had children up to Year 2. We saw their Kindie cousin in the first part. During the second part, we watched as MyGirl performed with her classmates. She seemed to be enjoying herself. She was singing and dancing on stage.

Their concert ended at about 6:15 pm and RD had to be back at the Hills Centre by 7pm. Although we live quite close to the venue, we had decided to pack food and soda so we could have dinner in between concerts. After we had our chicken sandwiches at the parking lot, we headed back to the main hall for RD's concert.

Concert B started at about 7:30 pm. We immediately saw RD as he joined the rest on stage. The children were seated at the steps at the back of the stage during most of the concert where they sang back-up to the other performers. Unlike in Concert A where the children were grouped by class, Concert B numbers were performed by children from different classes. RD told me later that he only knew a couple of the people in the group that performed Rhythm of Life with him.

Both of the children enjoyed performing at the concert and it was quite entertaining. I think it is a good opportunity for the children to discover themselves. These events may very well be the start of something they might otherwise not have tried.