Thank you Aeh & giftedamateur, for your kind & thoughtful comments.

DS has said he is more interested in composition than performance. Fortunately, the digital age enables individuals with such a preference and YouTube is a good way to document/showcase both. When reading your posts in other threads, giftedamateur, I have often wondered how far you have delved into composition.

DS just received news that he has been nominated for Encore which is an annual showcase of the best HSC performances at the Sydney Opera House. A nomination does not equate to being selected but is an invitation to send an audition video which can be of one of the pieces played for the viva exam or any other piece. The nomination does give reassurance that he did well in the practical component of his HSC exams so it’s good news in itself and because his viva performance was only for the mandatory core component of the music course and his elective component is composition (which hasn’t been marked yet), he intends to submit a performance of one of his own arrangements or compositions. It would be an amazing opportunity if a completely self taught musician could perform his own piece at the SOP.🤞

Yes it would! Bravo!

Thanks aeh!

The man child, now 16, made Eagle Scout rank last month!

Congrats! I've watched many young people strive toward that, and I know what an accomplishment it is to complete it.

Congratulations to your DC!

Kiddo (9) made her stage debut recently in a Broadway-equivalent show for the country we live in

So cool! Did DC find it more exciting, affirming, challenging, scary...?

Definitely affirming! She's worked hard, consistently, for a long time at the rehearsals, so finally 'getting there' feels great for her. She's very proud of herself. Plus, she's excited that her friends can come see what she's been working on for the better part of a year.