Gift of Music

Music has been, and I hope it continues to be, a big part of my life.  My mother and father worked hard and sacrificed to put us all in piano lessons, and I started at the early age of 3.  My mom patiently sat with us, practicing with us each day.  There were many days we fought her on it, and many days we lost out on playing in the pond or out in the snow...but we got our practicing done, even if it took us 3 or 4 hours!  There weren't many mornings when my dad didn't wake me up before the sun so I could be the first to get my time in on the ivory keys.  I loved that he cared enough to wake up a grumpy girl so she would have time to practice, THEN get ready for school!

I will forever be grateful for my mom's persistence and my dad's encouragement.  I hope that my children will come to love music as much as I do!

:::

We are very fortunate to have a great piano teacher.  She teaches my boys and I teach her girls and it has worked out pretty well, for us to be held 'accountable'.  :)

I am so proud of Tanner and Taylor for working so diligently in learning and memorizing their Christmas pieces!  Their songs weren't the usual melody being played with both hands.....they had more challenging pieces where the melody was in the right, and the left harmonized with chords and simple patterns.  It was a pretty big deal at our house, and they even complete a 100's chart the week before and the day of the recital (a 10x10 grid that when a specific task was practiced, they got a sticker.....all the way to 100 stickers!!)

Tanner played "Away in a Manger"...

Taylor played "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing"...

Kortlen even sang in the little Mozart's group and was so cute!

Way to go, boys!  You made your mama proud!

Halloween Recital

While teaching preschool at Apple Athletic Club, I met an astounding woman, who became a dear friend.  We taught together the first year, and our second year, she took on the music portion of preschool.  Jeanne is so talented and amazing, and I'm so glad we're friends!

She is teaching piano to about a dozen students, and a while ago, as we were both lamenting how hard it is to teach our own kids, we came up with a great idea!

I teach her girls, and she teaches my boys.  So our kids still have a 'teacher' to be accountable to, but we're also accountable to each other.  For the last few months, it has worked GREAT!  I hope it continues to work out for both of our families.

Here's the one shot I got of my boys in their costumes.  I must have been tired, because I didn't get any of them at the piano, or of her girls, or even a GROUP shot of all the students!

Can you tell who we are??

There is NO comparison.

This evening was just a bit shy of bliss.

The boys played in the tub for a looooong time, while I sat soaked on the rug, and all three of us giggled...they are a hoot! After getting in pajamas, they played like angels, singing, dancing, running from one corner of the living room to their bedroom to jump on the bed. They even asked if they could jump on the bed. Earlier, we had a rather lengthy discussion at the playground over Old McDonald hamburgers and fries about Santa and his elves watching the boys, and how Santa emailed mommy and daddy recently, telling us how good his elves' reports are. (Tanner is totally convinced...so much that he's telling Taylor to be good or the elves will tattle on him!)

Simply said, the evening was WONDERFUL except one tiny part:

While the boys played, I got in a hour. AN HOUR! of practicing. I haven't sat down an played like that in months. It was refreshing. It was calming. It was relaxing. The only thing that would have been better would have been to play my instrument of choice: *My parent's piano. Their piano is like heaven. It's beautiful, has the perfect touch, and it resonates in the piano room for a perfect bass. ahhhhhh!

At one point, Tanner even sat down with me and we worked on thumb tucking and finding middle C....someday I'll be able to sit with him day after day after blessed & miserable day of piano lessons! ♥

Oh how thankful I am to my patient mother, through rain and shine, heaven and hell, who encouraged us, pushed us, sometimes even forced us to practice the piano. Many a time we missed out on something WE wanted to do because we didn't have our practicing done. At the time we sure did complain, but now we all have such a love for music, and ridiculous fun preparing for funerals, weddings, jamming at midnight when we're all home, and just being able to play our instruments for pleasure. *gasp* Who would have thought that screaming matches over a music stand, sheet music soaked with tears or naps on the piano bench would bring ANYBODY such joy?!?!

I don't think this post would be complete without also thanking my dad, for listening for 22 years and counting (Deseret still has a good 8 years to go), the same. old. Suzuki songs. Over. and Over. and Over. AND for putting up with our antics and funding this wonderful blessing that only recently some of us are appreciating! For years he would come upstairs to my room and wake me up around five, and when he knew I was sitting on the piano bench practicing away, he would lay in front of the wood burning stove and fall back asleep for an hour, waking just in time to get the next eager student downstairs to practice. Many times I would lay on the piano bench and practice one hand at a time...measure by measure, phrase by phrase, movement by movement.

Someday. SOMEDAY I'll have a decent piano. For now, however, I'll be content with my awesome trade...4 pieced and embroidered Christmas Stockings for an instrument needing some TLC and DTRs will have to do.

What to you like to do to de-stress or let go?

*I couldn't find a decent picture of mine, so I snatched one from Stephanie's facebook...yes, that's her jammin' away...lucky ducky!