Recital Supply List

The state of Minnesota has football fever! Every radio station, the news and the newspaper have massive amounts of coverage about tomorrow's "game of the decade". What to wear and how to prepare was a whole section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "Football TV Etiquette" was the topic of 20 minutes of programming yesterday on the contemporary adult pop radio station.

According to an article by the Wall Street Journal yesterday, out of 174 minutes of a typical football broadcast, only 11 minutes include shots of the ball in play. Commercials take up about an hour. That's almost a third of the broadcast.

The rest, up to 60 percent of the total air time is spent on shots of players walking on the sideline, drinking energy drinks or huddling between snaps, according to the Journal, not to mention replays, crowd shots and other filler. Football cheerleaders typically get about 3 seconds of air time.

I have a studio recital tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. This seemed like a perfectly acceptable day and time to have a recital when I scheduled it in August. The facility was available and it's the appropriate timing before the state piano competition in two weeks. However, the Vikings are playing the Dallas Cowboys tomorrow at noon and the football games usually last about 3 hours. I have only had one student ask whether I was going to move the recital later one hour. I wonder how many piano Dads were hoping I would change the time or cancel it. But I haven't. I won't. I can't. I have a diatribe prepared to give you if you ask. I imagine that many of you know what it entails.

My winter recital is a themed recital. This year's theme is "Winter Wonderland" and the students have been cutting paper snowflakes this week as decorations for the church. We have also been working and memorizing the music since long before Christmas. Some of it will go very well. Some students have opted not to play because they are not ready. I allow this because I consider recitals opportunities rather than mandatory events. They are expected to attend the recital and cheer on the rest.

After the program, we're having an ice cream sundae bar. I'm bringing the ice cream and they are all bringing a topping. I've heard some wonderful ideas like crushed Andes mints, M&Ms, chocolate, butterscotch and caramel sauces, marshmallows, whipped cream and cherries. I'll try to remember to take some pictures for you. Two parents have offered to be ice cream scooper hostesses, one mom wanted to bring napkins and cups. It should be great fun, in addition to good music.

And there won't be one TV in the church! But there will probably be a few iPhones that checked for the score...no helping that, I guess.

Here's my checklist for the recital. It changes slightly with every recital, but you get the idea. Enjoy whatever you do tomorrow; may it be musical in some way, and I hope that it's more than just the halftime show!

Programs
Ice cream
Scoops
Donation Box for Haiti Relief Fund
Camera
Bowls
Spoons
Napkins
Cups
Coffee
Coffee urn
Key to building (!)
CD player
Mood music CD
Vacuum
Tablecloth
Scotch Tape
Speaking notes
Schedule for Festival times
Snowflakes
Decorations