Warning: this is a shameless “my kids are so talented” post.  I’m a mother; I can’t help it.

Have I ever mentioned that both of my children play violin?   No?  Well, they do and I’m impressed because I don’t play an instrument at all.  The violin is not an easy instrument to play, especially for little kids; if they start young, it takes six months just to learn how to hold the bow correctly.

My daughter has been playing about 18 months, since age 6 1/2.   She has come a long way in her lessons, when she used to cry if she didn’t play the piece correctly the first time.   This was her first recital and I was so proud of her; she remembered all of the notes and played with confidence.

My son started playing at age 4, so he’s been playing 10 years.   Here he is at age 5 playing for his kindergarten class on his birthday:

When he was six years old he got an amazing opportunity to play for Joshua Bell.  I think the group played “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”, but they brought the house down.  He carries this photo in his violin case for inspiration.

Besides private lessons like my daughter, he also plays in the school orchestra and a city orchestra here in Atlanta.   This video was taken at the same recital, given by their private teacher.   The piece that he played, “Haydn Concerto in G Major”, was about 7 minutes long, but I edited it down to just a few excerpts.

The kid has skills and that’s not just the mamma in me talking.