I Love the Students!

This is Adaly and Nicole. Adaly will be helping to keep all students practicing when I leave.  

Nicole mimics me, walking around the room and saying, "Estamos listos!" (We are ready!) "Donde esta mi libro?" (Where is my book?) "Escuchen, por favor!" (Listen, please!). Notice Adaly is sharing earphones with Nicole.

These are the Sanchez children. They have a small keyboard at home and practice every day.

They learn quickly and listen to everything I say. I predict all three will become fine pianists. They stopped by the church today a couple of hours before their class because Luis forgot his book yesterday and they wanted to pick it up so he could practice before class. I was thrilled to see them in school uniforms and leather shoes with soles attached; this means the tattered pants the boys have worn to class are their get-dirty play clothes. 

Lesly is practicing for her recital Saturday. She takes lessons with her mother and brother. They travel by bus 50 minutes each way each day to come to class from Paramos. They tell me there is an LDS ward in Paramos with 170 people attending each Sunday, but no piano or keyboard at the church. They say the church is bigger than the one we use in Ciudad Vieja. Yes, I know she needs to be sitting higher or the keyboard needs to be lower or both. John Mann says he has tabletops, and next time "we'll" build sawhorses to make them the right height.

These are two of the three Dieguez sisters in an afternoon class practicing a duet for tomorrow's recital.

I met their father tonight, and he is eager to see all three girls succeed.