Congratulations to Week Nine Student of the Week – Alyssa Collins.  11 year old Alyssa has worked hard over the last few weeks to improve her scales in preparation for her Grade Two exam at the end of the year.  Alyssa has also been working this term on a quite difficult piece – one that she thought she would never have a chance of being able to play.  This is Vivaldi’s Spring from The Four Seasons which Alyssa really loves.  With consistent work and attention to all the details, it is well on the way to sounding like the real thing.  There are some fast high note runs that turned out to be just the top octave of F Major scale, although they looked much scarier on the page!  Suddenly practising scales seemed to have a purpose!  Alyssa has even practised these runs using harmonics, an advanced technique.  Alyssa seems to like Baroque music as she has now chosen some more Vivaldi pieces to learn for her exam.  I’m impressed by Alyssa’s perseverance and the way she is able to articulate to me what she likes about the music she chooses to learn.  I’m looking forward to an interesting musical journey with you over the next few years, Alyssa!  Well done!