Happy May Day!
We went downtown at lunch today to see one of the elementary schools (not Max's) perform. First there were dancers, then the little violinists came out. Kindergarteners, 1st graders, 2nd graders. I'd guess more than 100. All stuffed shoulder to shoulder in the performance circle at Heritage Square. Suzuki teachers buzzed around them, tuning violins and tightening bows, while the students mostly ignored them and talked with their neighbors.
The teachers called for everyone to get ready to play, and they did. "Hello wall" (the step that gets the violin out from under your arm and ready to go under your chin) is what we're seeing in the picture above. Then violins under chins, bow flies away, lands on E, ready go! Although we were pretty far away, the sounds of their playing easily reached us and Max hummed along while playing with woodchips and dirt.
I was impressed at the sheer wrangling powers of the teachers, never mind the fact that the kids were (mostly) playing together! And there was not even one dropped violin! Pretty impressive!