A little extra info about Kenneth: I've been teaching him for 4 years and he's a bit of a special case. The boy has been labeled as a "problem child" and suffers with ADHD. Mom won't let him take medication. Kenneth has been kicked out of numerous private schools and youth orchestras for bad behavior (mouthing off to teachers, etc.). And I myself have been close to throwing him out of my studio, numerous times. Dad is not in the picture. Last year mom took him down to San Diego (nearly 500 miles away) and dumped him off (at age 12), very much against his will, at the Army & Navy Military Academy for boys.
But Kenneth likes music and, even though I am tough on him, he likes me. And he is essentially a good-natured, friendly kid and I like him. At his insistence, he flies from San Diego to Oakland every Friday (all by himself), takes a lesson with me late Friday night, goes to a chamber music session on Saturday, and then flies back to San Diego on Sunday. And he's been doing this all year.
I'm determined not to give up on him, because just about every adult in his life has. So this competition is a big deal for him. Thanks for listening.
