<p>My daughter and another senior from her hs are both pursuing flute perf degrees (Frost and Jacobs). Their music teacher from elementary school is also a flutist.</p>
<p>She (the teacher) commissioned a friend to write a composition for the elementary school band, featuring the two graduating seniors on flute.</p>
<p>The 2 girls have played Hoover’s Kokopelli together for years as the opening number for concerts and I bought 2 pairs of Kokopelli earrings as graduation gifts for them. They have done a great job of being both competitive and supportive of each other.</p>
<p>But… is there something the girls or families should do to acknowledge the elementary teacher? Or the composer? </p>
<p>I’m thinking along the lines of a small print/poster, perhaps with a suitable quote. Which the girls could sign. </p>
<p>Or, perhaps a posed photo of the 2 girls, signed and framed? Hmmm… I think I like that. </p>
<p>Ideas? Suggestions?</p>
<p>The photo is a great idea (not too large, 5 x 7, so it can be displayed on a shelf.) And of course a hand-written card with a sweet note from each of the girls. If this is “good bye” to the teacher, maybe also something like a beautiful potted plant or cut flowers for both at the concert.</p>
<p>If you have the photos/materials to support it, a collage frame with several size openings would be awesome. I’ve created numerous ones of these in various sizes from super big to small - some openings can contained photos, some personal notes printed in a lovely font and you can even photo copy part of the score and/or the program to go in another opening. It would be a lovely gift for both the teacher and the composer. They are always super well received.</p>
<p>congrats to your daughter and her friend.
Will they be attending NFA this summer?
I remember a wise thing mentioned many years ago by a flutist and flute teacher we knew: the flute world is a small one, and it is great to keep those relationships.
While not going overboard, I think a small gift of the girls’ choosing would be appreciated.</p>
<p>@LateParty - my daughter will be attending NFA this year, for the first time. Fortunately, it is en route to her college. And, she is hoping to be accepted at a masterclass being held nearby, just prior to the NFA. It all works out splendidly.</p>
<p>We have a ‘photo shoot’ scheduled for Saturday afternoon, and we’ll take it from there.</p>
<p>@Ablestmom - I love the idea of including some of the score.</p>
<p>They also have the same private teacher, at the local conservatory community music school, so I think we’ll do a variation on the photo-collage for that teacher as well.</p>
<p>The right thing to do is to tell the elementary school teacher how “instrumental” she was in your D’s success. Sorry, couldn’t resist the pun :)</p>
<p>Was the composer compensated for their work on the piece? If so, then a bouquet would be appropriate. If not, maybe something nicer like a fancy notebook of staff paper and a pen/pencil set.</p>
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<p>As a parent of a comp major, I would think twice about that. Most composers are rather particular both regarding the paper AND the pens/pencils they use when writing.</p>
<p>We went very simple… We took shots of the girls together and individually, portrait and landscape, and then I went out to look for frames.</p>
<p>I picked up a free-standing, hinged frame, for 2 vertical photos. The frame is double-sided, so that each of the 2 girls will do something else, for the ‘back=side’ of their half of the frame. (I have a shot of the teacher and my daughter, after my daughter’s 1st solo fest, that might be cute to include there.)</p>
<p>We’re quite sure the teacher compensated the composer, presumably thru her school budget (because she said she ‘commissioned’ him. I don’t think he was at the rehearsal. My daughter will send him a note after the concert, perhaps.</p>
<p>Thanks for the ideas! </p>
<p>@LGSMom - we may use your punny line… altho we tended to clash with her thru the years, starting with the search for a private teacher when we didn’t go with her recommendation (my D was 10 and it was more impt to me that she felt comfortable with the teacher than honor the elementary teacher’s recommendation).</p>