Sunday, March 20, 2016

RILEY'S BUSY WEEK

Riley has had a rather full week. It started last Friday when he attended a Model UN Conference with a few others from his school. He was representing the Czech Republic of 1992. During the conference the directors noticed his abundant preparation and pulled him aside to “redeploy” him as the leader of Russia. As he was about to take over the free world they brought the conference to a conclusion! We attributed his success to his tie.

Next he was accepted to his high school choices and was obliged to chose one. We think he made a good choice with LaGuardia High School, formerly called “Music and Art”. It’s the original “Fame” school. His “major” is piano, but the academics at the school are outstanding. One huge plus is that the school is at Lincoln Center, only a 10 minute walk from our house. His second choice, Bronx Science (the high school with 8 Nobel Laureate graduates) is a 40 minute commute each way.

Then he was accepted to Kinhaven Music Camp (Senior Program) for this summer. We are thrilled about that. It’s a 6-week camp in southern Vermont. Many of my musician colleagues went there as students. Each Saturday he receives a new chamber music assignment with a different group. They rehearse all week and perform it the following Friday. It will be challenging.


Finally, last night his trio performed the first movement of a Beethoven Piano Trio. It is part of the New York Youth Symphony Chamber Music Program and the final assessment is coming up in April. The winners play in Carnegie Recital Hall. ….fingers crossed.