Guild Audition!!!

This morning Ben had his first guild audition, an annual event where he plays for a member of the Piano Teacher's Guild (not his own teacher) and gets feedback.  He did wonderfully!!!!!  As of a few weeks ago, he was very worried about the fact that Jannis, his teacher, and I wouldn't be in the room with him -- just him and the guild member.  But once he found out that the guild auditions take place in Mason Hall, the music building on campus, so that he would be playing in a piano studio on campus just like a college student, he was sold.  Last week we had his lesson in the studio so that he could get used to it.  And this morning he marched in without even looking back.  Jannis and I listened from out in the hall.  He played four pieces, and he nailed 'em!!!

Here he is with Jannis before the audition.

Sporting the ribbon and pin he received afterward!  Note the Beethoven action figure in his hands.
 

In other news, we had an audiology appointment this afternoon at which we got to look at and handle the new waterproof Neptune CI processor from Advanced Bionics.  It was pretty sweet!  It's a body worn processor, just like his current one, so there's nothing behind the ear, but it's much smaller and lighter than the one he has now -- no need for the bulky harness and a hot undershirt.  And it's ... totally waterproof!!!  As in you can swim in it!  When we were talking about it a few weeks ago, Ben was rather hostile to the idea -- I think he was worried that it would sound different.  (And in fact another big plus is that it can use the ClearVoice processing strategy that's been getting rave reviews for improved hearing in noise.)  But when he saw it today, he was pretty interested.  By the time we got home, he said that he would really like to be able to hear in the water.  The upgrade offer that AB is making isn't attractive to us -- we would have to trade in his (currently unused) Harmony BTE processor for the Neptune, whereas we'd rather keep that as a back-up and unload the neolithic PSP processor that he's been using.  Our insurance company probably isn't going to be very enthusiastic, either, but we're going to see what we can arrange.

Great comparison video

Jodi posted this great video comparing the experiences of listening to a G&R song with no hearing equipment, with a hearing aid, and with a CI.  Enjoy!

Small town life

Beautiful spring day.  Ben and I slept in, worked our way through a stack of pancakes, and eventually ambled downtown to check out the Farmer's Market.  Ben decided to recreate his own market in chalk on the sidewalk around the fountain.  Here he is drawing some bread:

We hung out for awhile, chatted with friends, and then walked home at noon listening to a cascade of church bells.