About today...

.... today for the first time in 15 months Katie did a performance with other musicians with an actual real life audience. And she beamed the entire time. She LOVED it. Sat sandwiched between professional bassoonists from the Orchestra of Opera North, she was brilliant. The programme the whole ensemble of woodwind played was amazing. 30 of them, mixed professionals and young people, two days work, producing repertoire from Mozart to Bizet to a flamenco to an original piece they put together telling the story of The Jungle Book.

And at the end of it, they asked me to put her in for their senior summer camp, with an offer of a bursary and accommodation "because she would be so fabulous and get so much from it". One of her bassoon tutors stopped me to tell me how beautifully she plays but also what an intelligent musician she is. Katie was delighted she also told her that she would make a wonderful teacher with how she explains things.

It was a good day.