Georgia at Indiana University

Georgia finished three years at Indiana University, one of the largest and best music schools in the country.  Although the music school has well over a thousand students the musicians become a kind of family, tucked within a Big 10 University.  Students from literally all over the world come to study in Bloomington and so Georgia had a very international group of friends, all of them very talented in their own right.  Georgia studied violin with Mauricio Fucs whose studio was particularly close, but she also had a "family" through the LDS Institute which was right across the street from the music school, and well, ahem, if I do say so myself, a sister and brother in-law.  We were roommates during my last year at IU.  Wasn't I lucky?  I will try very hard to remember names here, but forgive me since it's been 10 years since I've seen most of these remarkable people.  I'll just put first names for privacy - my apologies to those whose names I have forgotten.

With Felix in Mr. Fucs' studio.

With Short-term roommate, Adrienne

Alan - also from Mr. Fucs' studio

On a hike 

At a dance with Marty

With Felix and Jimmy, her stand partner

In Austria while studying abroad

At an IU game with friends from church, Bruce and Sally

With roommate, Shanna and her brother

With roommate, Sally.  Shanna and Sally were Georgia's roommates during her senior year at IU and helped the family go through her room, arrange things at the funeral in Indiana, and communicate the news to friends so we didn't have to.  Thank you!

With Mr. Fucs and his wife

With friends from Mr. Fucs' studio

Hanging out with Bruce

After a concert in Gratz, Austria with her violin on her back.

Freshman year with roommate Haleigh in the dorm.

With friends from church (and Youming) at the Institute

Quartet

Church friends - roommates Shanna and Sally

With Michelle at the Institute

With Michelle and their hair for Locks of Love.  I went (as moral support) with Georgia to get her hair cut and when we walked out of the salon she cried and cried.  She really did have beautiful, long hair!

Lots of love and flowers after her Junior recital

End of freshman year.

Stand partner and dear friend, Jimmy

Jimmy was in Gratz with Georgia (I hope my memory is not wrong on this...)

At a performance with Jimmy

With Jordan 

Friends at church - Michelle

Post-concert with conductor and orchestra friends

After her recital with roommates Shanna and Sally

Hanging out with Sally (who must have given her many rides)

Another studio gathering - with Sarah.

Georgia The Missionary

I posted these pictures many years ago and recently I went back and wasn't able to access them on the blog, so just in case it wasn't just me, I re-posted them by category (Missionary pictures, family pictures, friends, and IU).  Some of them are in earlier posts, but you can access all of the pictures of Georgia on the whole blog by clicking on the label "Pictures of Georgia" at the right.  

In 2000 Georgia served a summer mission as a Young Performing Missionary (YPM) in Nauvoo which meant she sang, danced, played her violin, and gave tours at the historic LDS city, Nauvoo in Illinois.  We tend to think she was happiest that summer because she was sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and using her music all at the same time.  She really worried about taking time off from studying music at IU, but she was really blessed and jumped back into the intense music school after 4 months "off" without any problem.  

All of the missionaries wore period clothes and memorized musicals written to tell the stories of the families in Nauvoo.  

I am putting my best foot forward and combing all of my technical power to spread the word about the balloon release for Georgia.  The only problem is that I'm just not very active on Facebook, I don't know how to Tweet, and I don't have many IU emails.  (Yeah, motherhood is super social for me.)  However, I think all of YOU do, so I'm posting the information about September 25th here, on my Facebook page, and via email so that anyone who got left out will hopefully hear about the "big" event.  Here are the details for those living in or visiting Utah.  Her grave is on the far east side of the cemetery:

Tuesday, September 25, 20127:00 pm MDT Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park 3401 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84106Bring: white, helium balloon and instruments for those interested.

For all others, Haleigh Vance has graciously offered to post, here on the blog, a compilation of all of the balloon releases.  So, please, please, please film or photograph your balloon release because I think it will be so special to see people all over the world remembering such a wonderful person.  I just love the idea of little balloons floating heavenward all day on the 25th, all over the world.  I personally am very excited to be with family on the 25th, so it will be a special day no matter what happens.  

Musicians, we are going to play a hymn or two, a Handle duet w/ basso continuo for the cellists (it's Adagio, don't fret), Pie Jesu (if I can find the music), and You are my Sunshine, so bring your instrument and join the throng, or the quartet, but let's hope for a throng...

Thank you Haleigh and everyone for sharing this and spreading the word!

A Big Event

I was going to wait until we got a little closer to September 25th, like some etiquette rules must surely dictate when sending invitations to an event, but I'm just really excited.  This year marks 10 years since Georgia passed away and looking back it has been remarkable to be a part of the remembrances of her. Since I've been away from family on the 25th so many years in a row I know how hard it is to not visit the grave or have other people around that knew her.  With that in mind, I really wanted to celebrate this year in a way that could include anyone around the world who couldn't gather to remember Georgia.

Thanks to our cousin, Abby we have a great plan.  On the evening of the 25th we will gather at the gravesite - all are welcome - and release white balloons.  For those that cannot meet can release white balloons wherever they are and film it (if they feel like it).  Haleigh Vance has graciously offered to compile all of the videos and post it on this blog.  I hope this will be a special time for everyone who knew Georgia and still feels her influence wherever they are.  I am really excited about it!   Any suggestions are gladly welcomed.

More concrete details will come soon and I'll post it on Facebook as we get closer, but I've been thinking about her a lot lately and so I just had to do a pre-announcement for those who check this blog.  I'm sure she'll be tickled at the sight of the balloons all over the world, just for her!

Memorial Day 2012

Dear Georgia and family, Tonight I asked the question to the kids: where is Georgia? How do you know? We read Alma 40 which says the spirits of all men return to God after they die. Then they go to a place of happiness or a place of sadness depending on their choices in this life. I'm grateful for the knowledge of the Gospel and for the knowledge that Georgia's passing has brought us in testimony and witness and understanding. I took a very pretty bouquet of flowers from our garden and found that my parents had placed the same type of flowers as I had. I felt teary at the gravesite. I'm not sure the exact source of the emotion - sadness? yearning? joy for the experiences Georgia has introduced to me? love for her? love from her? I don't know exactly, but I liked the feeling. It is so good to FEEL. I love you, Georgia and your great example of successfully passing through mortality relying on the Savior and living it so well in his grace. Thank you. May we all do so. Love, Cannon

Happy New Year

Hi Georgia

You're always on my mind, but I find that the holidays make it somehow more poignant. I love the music of the holidays, because it reminds me of countless performances with you and the other Quarter Notes. I love the way people are kinder and more thoughtful to each other, just like you always were. I think of your beautiful singing voice whenever anyone mentions the angels who appeared to the shepherds so long ago; surely you must have been among that Heavenly Host! But mostly I rejoice in celebrating the Savior's birth, because it's His life and sacrifice that make eternal life, and a reunion with you, possible.

Cami and I had occasion to be together this past week. We laughed, and were silly (oh you would have LOVED the "dance party" we, not our children, started), but mostly we rejoiced in each other's company and the fact that the Good Lord saw fit to keep us safe between this meeting and the last. I have no doubt, Georgia, that that's how it will feel when we see each other again. We will embrace, and remark on how long it's been, and yet how close we still feel. We will as Alma and the sons of Mosiah rejoice that we are still sisters in the Lord. (see Alma 2:17)

So Happy Holidays, friend. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you for teaching me what Christmas is about: celebrating and believing in the Savior and His mission.

And as Cami and I sang together today, May God Be With You Till We Meet Again.

Miss you Georgia...

It's been so long since I have been here, and am so happy I stopped in to say hello
Tonight I am making pasta, my kids are in bed, and the TV is off. Ahhh...just me. My wife is out shopping for a birthday present for my little boy who turns 6 tomorrow. Crazy huh?
It makes me so happy to hear your song Pie Jesu...your voice is so true and pure. It reminds me how I feel when peace is around.
You emulate that very word Georgia, Peace.
Hey I have an idea, will you do me a favor tonight and go sing to my kids in their dreams? You are so good with kids...Oh please...will you play and sing with them tonight? The would love to get to know you,...just go introduce yourself, they are open to beautiful angels like you. They play with my dad at night all the time, the tell me about how they went and played on the swings with Papa Glauser at night...so they would fit right in with your antics. I bet you can play some really cool games, huh?
I am sure that they will let me know how it goes, they Always tell me what the did while they were sleeping...so cute!

Well, G. I miss you. Just wanted to drop in and share a bit of my week with ya. much hugs and love.

Brad
(Elder Glauser - YPM Nauvoo 2000)

Thank you, you the best.