Richy Ramos

This past Sunday, Richy Ramos played a special musical number, "Jesus Once of Humble Birth." He did a great job! Here is a picture of Richy, in the black coat. He is the second young man from the Harlem 2nd ward, a Spanish speaking ward to play a special musical number.

UM Professor Harding

I recently found out that I have been accepted into Professor Christopher Harding's studio at The University of Michigan. Professor Harding has studied with Menahem Pressler and Nelita True. Harding has taken twenty-five first prizes in national and international competitions. I am excited to be in his studio, and know that it will strecth me.

The Harman Grant in Harlem

Here is a picture of Filipe Munoz clapping and counting in a group piano lesson made possible by The Harman Grant.


I have been teaching the Harlem 2nd ward, a spanish speaking ward piano lessons. The Harman Grant is a program that sends keyboards to church congregations along with music books. The participants get to take the keyboards home and practice. If the participants make significant progress, the instructor can give the participants a certificate to receive their own keyboard, and the lender keyboard goes back to the congregation so that the program can continue. This last Sunday, Felipe Munoz played I am a child of God in Sacrament meeting as a special musical number. It was exciting for me to see the progress not only that Felipe has made as well as the rest of the class. Most of the participants come from homes that have no musical instruments, and have never had lessons. Felipe did an excellent job.

Kurt Brandon Bascom is here!

Kurt Brandon Bascom was born on August 4, 2006 at 8:21 a.m. He weighed in at 7 lbs 15.6 oz. and was 21 inches long. He came almost two weeks early. Lindsey had a value that was high on her last diabetes test. After another sonogram the specialist said that he was big enough. So we went and turned all the paperwork in to Lindsey's work at The Marriott Marquis Hotel, and went home to get the hospital bag. After waiting five and a half hours in the waiting room we finally got into a room at 7:30 on the 2nd of August. There we started two 12 hour drugs with an hour break inbetween each to start inducing. But due to a shortage of nurses at St. Luke's Roosevelt hospital, Lindsey wasn't getting the attention that she should have been, so her medicine was being increased every forty minutes rather than every 20. At about midnight on the 4th, they said if she didn't start dialating by 6:00 a.m. they would have to discuss our options which would only be a C section. Thank goodness she started dialating a couple hours later. And at 8:21 Kurt was born!