Cultural program.

So last night two guys from Kevins engineering department stopped by and asked if I would be willing to play for an EE event. I said "sure" and was glad, because then I would really have something to be practicing for. Then I asked them when it was. They said "oh, tomorrow night." So, I guess I won't be practicing much for it! So I chose some of my old back-up pieces, you know stuff I just always know. Tchaikovsky's Canzonetta and then Orange Blossom Special. Hey, they said it was a Cultural program. It was actually for the recognition awards ceremony for the graduating Elecrical Engineers.
Then they stopped by again today to make sure that I was still going to play for them, (didn't I say I was??) and then they asked me if Kevin would play the drums too. I was a bit shocked by that and said "well, I don't know, you would have to ask him, it is kind of short notice and he hasn't really played for a long time. " But they wouldn't take no for and answer. So I told them I would call him and see. He was surprised but thought, "what the heck?!" That is what I love about him.
They originally told us it was at 6 pm, but then today when I asked what time I should come, they said 5:30 is when it started. Again, just one of those things you get used to around here. Things don't stay the same, they always change around depending on who you talk to,or when you talk to them.
So Kevin and I showed up and the hall was so stuffy we were feeling faint. I was a little worried that I would pass out at first, but then I guess I got used to it. They wanted me to start the show. That made me a bit nervous because I don't really know the protocol around here. Do I bow, or walk off, or what ? Actually, at all of the programs or lectures we have attended here people talk and walk around and answer their cell phones etc. during the program. So, I didn't really expect much attention. Here, people seemed to actually pay attention! Maybe just because I was first and they hadn't gotten bored yet. Anyway, I just did what I was used to, I waited for a bit at the end, then bowed, then walked off. Kevin was up next. He did really well! I loved seeing him up there -pretty hot if you ask me! He just improved with this guitarist and the guitarist kinda just kept playing the same lick over and over, so Kevin was switching up his drums a lot to add some interest. He was awesome. You would have thought that they had rehearsed, but no. I kinda wish I could do that. I asked Kevin afterward if we can go and practice improvising sometime so I can get comfortable with it and have some fun. Oh, Jorn and Lise came to watch us too, they are so sweet!
I have been working with my student, Steven, on getting a hymn ready for Easter. He is going to perform for the first time on Easter Sunday. He is playing "Christ the Lord is Risen Today". He has only been playing for 6 weeks and he is sounding really good. I mean, we started lessons 6 weeks ago and he is going to play that hymn well 6 weeks later! I am really proud of him.
We had been planning this for over a month and all I had ever heard was that Steven was going to play. But today after our lesson, Stevens mom,Sheba, told me 2 other hymns that she wanted me to play for Easter also. Normally this would be no big deal, but they were hymns that I had never heard of and she had no sheet music for them either. She told me that she will have Steven find them on Youtube for me and then I can listen to them and learn them. That is doable, but quite a bit more work. It is so funny to me that they waited until just a few days before to tell me they wanted me to do that. I could have listened to it and even written it out and known the music by heart by now if they had asked me even a week ago. Oh well, I am realizing that that is just how things are here. It will be fine, I just think it is funny.