It’s been a lovely fall. It hasn’t rained here in about 6 weeks, which has been terrible for the grass and plants, but with low humidity and the perfect temperature, it’s been amazing to just be outside.
Dave and I competed in the Waterman’s Olympic Distance triathlon in Rock Hall at the end of September. I was still in great condition from training for Nationals and ended up taking 2nd overall in the Masters Category (anyone 45+). I was a little offended to be considered a Master, but what can you do? It was my fasted Olympic Distance so this Master killed it.
Lauren ran on the cross country team again this year and did really well. She ended up in the Top 5 of her team of about 30 5-8th graders. She really enjoys it and is also very much looking forward to joining the track team when she’s in 7th grade (track is only 7th and 8th).
And Sophia had a cool experience with the Philadelphia Girls Choir. She was one of just a few singers invited to sing with The Philadelphia Orchestra in their performance of G. Mahler Symphony No. 3. They performed twice at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and once at Carnegie Hall in NY! The most exciting part of the NY performance for her was running into Alec Baldwin in the hallway, who then took her phone to take a group selfie (“he touched my phone!!”).
For the first ten days in July, Sophie traveled with the Philadelphia Girls Choir for a tour of Budapest and Hungary. Each year the choir picks an international location and plans for a series of concerts and workshops as well as sightseeing and other tourist activities. This is the first year that Sophie went.
Parents got daily email updates from the tour leaders, which was great, because we got much more sporadic updates from Sophie. Rather than recap what I think happened, here are some pics that we got and the daily updates we received.
While she was a little homesick, I know she had fun and she certainly had experiences to remember forever.
Updates from the choir tour leaders from July 1-10:
Today was an awesome day with our choir! We started the day with a delicious breakfast in our hotel and quickly departed Kecskemet for a workshop at the Kodaly Institute. Our local tour guide showed us Catholic and Calvinist churches, as well as the town’s beautiful gardens and Baroque architecture. We then visited the University where the girls sang in their concert hall and had an incredible workshop with a Kodaly expert. The choir polished their Hungarian pronunciation in preparation for our performance tomorrow and eventual competition.
We returned to Budapest to take a river cruise on the Danube, where the singers serenaded all of Budapest with selections from their repertoire. We finished the day with dinner at Frida, a Mediterranean restaurant where we had gnocchi and apple strudel. Tomorrow will be a big day of touring, and a joint concert with a local choir. It has been so pleasant getting to know your children. They are all having a great time and bonding with each other more and more each day!
What a day we had today! We started with a tour of Budapest with our guide Levi. He showed us the castle district and Mattias Church, where the girls got to test the acoustics with a song. Tourists gathered all around! We then tasted some Hungarian specialties and got to shop at the market.
Later, we met with our hosts, the Rutafa Choir, to rehearse for our joint concert. It was a stunning performance filled with beautiful music! The girls got a chance to get to know their Hungarian hosts, make new friends, and even go to one of the oldest cafes in Budapest for dinner together. The atmosphere was filled with joy and new-found friendship, all made possible by the universal language of music. The Rutafa Choir surprised us with a performance of Hungarian songs, which our girls loved! We felt so welcomed and special.
It was a truly beautiful moment. We leave for Vienna in the morning to start the Summa Cum Laude Festival!
We left Budapest today for Vienna. On our way there we stopped in a charming Hungarian town called Gyor. The girls got to explore with their chaperones and spend some time in some local cafes. We finished our trip and arrived in Vienna and were wowed by the beautiful buildings and gardens! Today was the opening ceremony of the Summa Cum Laude Music Festival and the girls were treated to performances by “coro siamo” and heard the Summa Cum Laude Anthem for the first time. We are all checked into our hotel, despite some hiccups during the check-in process! This hotel is brand new and has very high-tech elevators. We have all now learned how to work some fancy new tech! Tomorrow is the competition and we are excited!
We are so excited to announce that PGC placed second in our category with “excellent success” at the Summa Cum Laude Youth Music Festival. The festival has 38 participating groups from 13 countries including choirs, orchestras, and bands. We are so proud of how well the girls performed and how beautifully they have bonded as a group. Today they performed at the Welt Museum, which is in part of the Hofberg Palace, spent some time getting to know each other better in a royal park for lunch and ice cream, and had a great time in the interactive Haus der Musik. I am writing this to you from our second workshop with experts from the festival. It is such a special thing to be surrounded by their beautiful voices and see them communicate through music. The girls are making memories that will last forever. Now they can all say they have sung on the same stage where the Vienna Philharmonic plays!
As we are winding down our tour, the girls are filled with joy for the awesome experiences they have had, as well as some sadness that it is soon coming to an end. Today was our last concert as a tour group, but there is still one more day of the festival. Tomorrow we will participate in a yodeling workshop and see the closing gala concert. We are so honored that one of our girls were chosen to perform the first solo Summa Cum Laude Anthem at the end of the Gala Concert!
Today we had an extensive tour of the city and had Viennese specialties for lunch at the Schönbrunn Palace. We saw the old city, the Hundertwasser Haus, and the stunning gardens of the palace, among many other stunning sites in the city. Tomorrow we will celebrate the end of the festival with a special party on the Rathaus Terrace (City Hall). It is an absolutely stunning site! We will be heading home early the next morning.
I am sure by now, you are brimming with excitement to see your children again! Today we ended the Summa Cum Laude music festival with a yodeling workshop and big party with dancing, food, and even a marimba band. The girls all had an amazing time and made new friends.
Tomorrow is a day full of travel as we make our way back home to the US. Nathan will be in touch as we make our way back to the states with arrival updates as he gets them. We will arrive in Newark at 7:30pm on British Airways #189. Some of the girls are being picked up at Newark International Airport, and others will be brought back to the choir building. Please make sure to check email and texts for updates as we make our way back home. Thank you so much for trusting us with your incredible children. Tour is a truly magical time where our kids learn and grow, both musically and personally. We hope that you will hear all about the exciting times they had and about the world they have seen.
It’s been a packed spring with races, performances and various end of year activities.
Lauren and I did a 5K race for Gift of Life, called the Donor Dash. And Lauren killed it. She came in 3rd in her age group of 15 and under. We’ve got a star runner in the making!
The next weekend Dave and I, along with Justin, Don, and Rebecca did the Broad St. Run. The weather wasn’t great, but it wasn’t the worst we’ve run in either. First weekend in May, you never know.
I also did a sprint distance triathlon in Rock Hall. Dave unfortunately couldn’t come down to do it because of a crazy schedule, but Don joined me. This year I’ve moved up in age groups to 45-49 (ugh). But it went well and I ended up taking first in the group – first our of 18 in the age group and 61 out of 380 overall!
There were also spring concerts – Lauren’s 5th grade band concert and Sophie’s Philadelphia Girls Choir concert. Both were excellent and both girls did a great job.
Lauren had her 5th grade dance, which she went to with her “crew” of friends.
After two years Sophie finally got her braces off! We finally get to see the full smile again – teeth and all!
And finally, in exciting family news, Shannon Boyle is getting married! Lauren and Kathy represented the Sharp contingent at her shower. We’re looking forward to the wedding in September!
This December was full of holiday festivities, including the Philadelphia Girls Choir holiday concerts and this year also three performances in the Nutcracker with Philadelphia Ballet. Mom, Becky and Ari came up to celebrate an early Christmas and watch one of Sophie’s concerts.
Phila Girls Choir Holiday ConcertSinging in the NutcrackerSoph after a Nutcracker performance Early Christmas!
The concerts were excellent and always get us in the holiday spirit. The girls are really good. This is Sophie’s last year with Cantata before she moves up to Concerto, which is the oldest group.
December has been filled with recitals and holiday celebrating. I decided that this year instead of taking the kids to see the Nutcracker again, we’d try the Philly Pops Holiday Spectacular at the Kimmel Center. It did not disappoint. The music and singing were great and it was a very entertaining show. Beforehand we did the holiday brunch at the Union League which was very festive.
Sophie had her winter band concert mid-December, which ends up being her last one because she decided she doesn’t want to be in band anymore. They were impressive for a 7th grade band, and Soph was smack center playing base drum.
The following weekend were two holiday concerts for the Philadelphia Girls Choir – one in a performing arts center in New Jersey and the other at Temple Performing Arts Center. As always, the girls were amazingly impressive. I’m continually blow away by how professional this choir sounds.
And finally we got together with the college friends at a Christmas party at Justin and Steve’s house. It was great to connect with everyone again. I hadn’t seen Erin in over a year, and Vahid even longer.
Holiday brunch at the Union League Sophie’s 7th grade band concertReunited with the college gang at Justin and Steve’s holiday party Philly Girls ChoirPhilly Girls Choir
I love December and everything leading up to Christmas. This year did not disappoint and we’re all in the holiday spirit.
The day after Christmas Sophie got to do something very cool. She, along with the Philadelphia Girls Choir, sang the National Anthem and the halftime show at the Eagles game against the NY Giants.
The girls were originally invited to sing just the National Anthem, but a few days before the game the halftime show cancelled, so they jumped in and did halftime as well! They sang Deck and Halls and Jingle Bells for that one.
We got tickets for Dave’s parents and my family to all go. We got great seats behind one of the field goals. The game was good, but of course the best part was the choir!
Lauren and I before the National Anthem
There was a lot going on down on the field when the girls sang the National Anthem. As the girls stood down on the field waiting to sing, all of the players ran on to the field through smoke and fireworks. Then the Eagles drum line played and everyone sang the fight song. It was a lot. Finally the girls sang and they were excellent! The stadium was quiet and erupted when they finished.
The choir singing the National Anthem
At half time the girls came back out on to the field and sang two Christmas carols. It was a little tougher because the stands were loud and their voices are so delicate. But they were all featured on the jumbotron and saw a few good closeups of Sophie because she was in the front row.
The choir singing at halftime
Despite winter hats in these pictures, the weather was unseasonably warm, no jackets necessary. We were incredibly lucky because the day after was 40 and raining. It was such a cool experience and everyone had a great time, most of all Sophie!
In December, both of the girls had their respective end of year performances/races.
Lauren did Girls in the Run this fall for the first time. She was extremely reluctant to try it (as she is with all new activities), but ended up loving it. She’s also a very strong runner, no surprises there. She had practice twice a week for about 2 months and then a celebratory 5K run. Each girl runs with a buddy so Dave was her running buddy. The day was beautiful and she did really well. Out of 600 girls she came in 10th!
Lauren’s Girls on the Run teamLauren and Dave (her running buddy) after the race
Later in December the Philadelphia Girls Choir had their holiday concerts. They did two this year – maybe to make up for not having any last year. The first was in a church in New Jersey and the second was at Temple Performing Arts Center. Both were amazing. Even though they had to sing with masks on, they still sounded amazing. This is also the first year that Sophie is performing with Cantata, the next group level up.
The first performance at a church in New JerseyThe second performance at Temple Performing Arts Center Sophie with her friends Ella and Jojo
Now we’re enjoying a few activity free weeks before everything starts up again in January
The weekend of January 19th was Lina’s last weekend with us. We had an amazing year and already miss her a lot. Before we took her to the airport on Saturday, she, Sophie and I went into Center City to march in the (now annual) Women’s March down the Parkway. We marched with a group of girls from Girls Inc., a nonprofit whose board I sit on.
It was a really chilly day, but also a lot of fun. We started at Love Park and marched with hundreds of others to the steps of the art museum.
The next day was MLK Day and the Philadelphia Girls Choir was invited to sing at a lunch event for the Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Association for Nonviolence. In attendance was mayor Kenney, governor Wolf, lieutenant governor Fetterman, and state senator Casey. It was a pretty impressive crowd and the girls did not disappoint. They performed three songs from their season last year.
After Lina left, Dave’s parents have officially taken over care of the kids before and after school. They arrive in the morning before I leave to finish getting them together and out the door, and pick them up in the afternoons to take them to their various activities and help with homework. The transition has gone incredibly smoothly and it’s great to have them here every day.
The PGC had their holiday concert in the middle of December at Temple’s Performing Arts Center. It was beautiful, as it always is. Sophie is in the Etude group, which is made up of the youngest girls.
Sophie was front and center in the Etude groupThe last song the entire choir performed together was “Believe” by Josh Groban. It was pretty amazing.Here’s the singer after the performance.
As the school year comes to an end, so do the girls activities (I think we’re all ready for a little break and a more relaxed schedule).
Last weekend Sophie had her end of year choir concert at Temple’s Performing Arts Center. The girls gave an amazing performance for a nearly full house.
Here’s the full group – Sophie is up on the balcony, middle. There are three groups, Sophie is in the youngest, called Etude. They all performed separately, and then all together, which is pretty amazing to hear.
The singing star afterward.
This weekend Lauren had her spring ballet recital at the Suzanne Roberts Theater on Broad Street. There were two sections of her performance where the kids were allowed to “free dance” and she was the start of the stage – gracefully twirling around and showing off all of her moves.
And a video of her dancing. While she likes to go to ballet class, it’s being up on stage that’s her favorite. Afterward she was already talking about next year’s recital.
Striking a post afterward.
Finally, Sophie had her end of year French play last week. Each second grade class puts on the same production, which lasted about 30 minutes. Sophie was a snail, or rather escargot.
Here’s the entire cast of animals, and Sophie with her fellow escargots talking to the main character, Spot. The entire play was in French, so I have no idea what the plot was. But I’m sure it was deep.
Afterward parents were invited back to the classroom where the kids sang a song and each demonstrated why they were smart. Sophie talked about how much she loved to read because she has such a good imagination and can picture everything she’s reading in her mind. She read the class a poem and then showed us a picture she drew of what she imagined.
Last week Lauren had her last day of preschool and next Friday will be Sophie’s last day of second grade. The days are long, but the year is short!
Here are the girls on Lauren’s last day of being a preschooler! It was also field day for Sophie, so she wore her Eagles shirt for the sports theme.
And here’s Soph a few days later on her last day with her Principal, Dr. Martino. Good-bye 2nd grade!
