Earlier this morning Dominic and some of his fellow bandmates had a Solo & Ensemble competition in Onalaska.  It was pretty cool to see Dominic and many of his best friends up on stage playing together.  They did a great job and sounded fantastic!  Afterwards they were also able to get some coaching from the judge and they did showed excellent growth mindset as they learned some ways to improve.

Later in the morning we went back for Dominic’s solo piece.  Talk about putting yourself out there for everyone, it was him up in front of everyone (approximately 20 people – students, parents, teachers, and a judge).  He gave an intro to his piece and then played away with only his teacher accompanying him on piano.

He was nervous, but he stayed focused and kept playing.  It was wild to see him in front of a crowd like that.  I’ve done enough speaking to know how nerve-racking it can be to put yourself out there, but what he did blows my mind.  It was only few months ago that he started playing the trumpet and this was his first solo.  Talk about putting yourself out there for the world!

Dominic, way to step out of your comfort zone and try something completely different bud!  You were an inspiration for me yet again and I’ll be sure to keep the thought of you in my head when I’m questioning whether or not I should put myself out there.  The amount of courage and strength it took today was incredible, you made your mom and I proud of you yet again.  Love you Bud!

Thanks!!!