love, truth, virtue and beauty

“What is man’s ultimate direction in life? 
It is to look for love, truth, virtue, and beauty”

Shinichi Suzuki

Kate is performing her Suzuki book one cello recital this weekend.  She will perform all of the music she has learned in cello by memory.   It feels like we have reached a bridge, one that had been far in the distance.  As she crosses it there are exciting opportunities and learning for all of us on the other side.  I have been one of her biggest cheer leaders...but sometimes I feel like her greatest handicap.  As we sit in lessons together I am reminded over and over again how limited I am in being her guide through this learning.  There are so many aspects to pay attention to---position, bowing, rhythm, fingering...the smallest adjustment can make such a big difference.  I often imagine what it would be like for her if I knew what I was doing.  But through this process we are learning together---seeking improvement, enjoying the work, developing a love for the music and appreciating the opportunity.  Learning those things side by side, as mother and daughter, might be even more important than the music itself- because through this our love for each other, life and music deepens.