We had spent almost a year trying to get to a Piano Guys concert and finally had tickets for a December 2011 show. Before purchasing the tickets I checked the school calendar, family calendar and LeRoy's calendar (which does run somewhat separate from any other calendar) to make sure that we would be able to make it. Derek, Justin, Vivien and I were so excited to be going!! But it was not meant to be, yet.
We found out about a week before the concert that Derek's high school orchestra concert was being rescheduled to accommodate the school choir and it would now be held the same night as our Piano Guys concert. Derek was SO frustrated that he left the orchestra class without permission so that he could call me. I told him that I would leave the choice up to him. He could talk to Mr. Hansen about missing the school concert (because Mr. Hansen is also a big fan of the Piano Guys) or we would try to pass the tickets on to someone else and hope to make the concert another time. Derek went back to class, finished the school day and thought over his options. I searched the web hoping to find another Piano Guys concert and nothing was booked in our area (Idaho/close Utah). Steven Nelson (the oh-so-amazing cello player) was going to be doing a tour in China so there were no upcoming concerts for 2012 after April.
When Derek got home from school he was in a grouchy mood and I have to admit, so was I. I was frustrated with the choir instructor who thought he could change the whole schedule for the choir and orchestra with only a week notice; I was frustrated with myself for telling the kids about the tickets because I had intended to keep it a secret and just take them on a surprise date with me and if I had done that Derek wouldn't be so upset. After a few days thinking it over, Derek decided that he would stay for his own school concert. In his own words, "If Steven Sharp Nelson had a concert he would be there, so I will be at mine". I was so proud and so hurt for him. We were able to give the tickets to some friends that we knew would enjoy and appreciate the concert just as much as we would have and their thank you back was to give Derek the newly released Piano Guys first CD signed by Steven Nelson. Derek was not only thrilled with the CD, he was surprised to think that our friends would stand in line to get it autographed directly to him. For the next few weeks he fell asleep listening to that CD and it was the only thing that played in the car for quite awhile.
After this experience I realized how much Derek really wanted to meet Steven. He has inspired Derek to write his own cello songs and record them. Derek has purchased and practiced the few arrangements that Steven has listed for sale on his website. Derek loves the cello. He wants to play an electric cello and pound on a metal cello all because of Steven.
So, I became a Piano Guys stalker and it paid off. Steven's China tour was cancelled and the Piano Guys started adding more concerts. I purchased tickets for a July concert in Sandy, Utah and took a printed copy of the receipt to Derek's school to have it delivered to him in class and then posted it on facebook so that Justin would see it. It was fun to surprise the boys in a unique way for each of them.
We drove to Utah on July 13th with the stereo pumping up our excitement as it played Derek's autographed CD. As we got to Malad a big rain storm hit. By Brigham City we were worried about being blown off the road. Utah was a windy, rainy mess and here we were headed to an outdoor concert. However, we were not going to let this get us down. Come rain or wind we were going to this concert. As long as they would perform, we would be there.
Finally!!! Waiting for the concert to start. We were concerned about our seats when we first got there because the sun was right in our eyes and we couldn't see the stage because of the glare. The usher assured us that by the time the concert started the sun would be in the perfect position for a beautiful sunset concert, wind and rain free. She was right. Just as it started the sun had moved down far enough that we could see perfectly.
We were a few rows back and on the side that the cello was on. Perfect seating! Though the group is called the Piano Guys, we were totally fixated on the cello guy the whole time.
At the end of the concert we got to meet all five of the Piano Guys and they performed a new song that they had just recorded the night before. All of them were on the piano plucking, playing, pounding and it was awesome. The next week they released the new video online and it was cool to watch the video and see the same stage that we had just watched them on.
The next morning we went to church with Mike and Kate and their boys and Kellie and her kids. Kellie's family had just moved back from Columbia (minus Shawn who had to stay behind in Virginia for work) and it had been almost a year since we had seen them. Hailey immediately took to Derek.
He carried her to church and she sat on his lap all through Sacrament Meeting. After church she would wander around the house calling out in her sweet voice, "where's Derek" until she found him. I love being with my sisters and watching all of our kids hang out together making memories.
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