Wednesday, April 7, 2010

This is a link to Ben Folds. We're going to his concert  tonight.  This was the first concert that Grace and T.J. attended.  We loved it and their were lots of families there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=379V1IhrB2I&feature=related

Real Concert, I should say. We did take them to see Vanessa Carlton.  She was a great young singer who played incredible piano.  I thought she was great for the kids. She had studied classical ballet, grew up in New York City, learned piano from a very young age.  Her plan was to be  ballerina, but somewhere along the way she realized that she loved piano and loved to sing....that's how she began!  We all enjoyed that her dad had been pretty cool and taught her to play songs like "painted black" on the piano when she was younger.  She had her own take on those old songs.  The only bad part....for our middle school children(6th and 7th grade), she cursed a bit!                .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwkej79U3ek

TONITE!  So happy to see Ben Folds. It's a great night planned with the kids...and for the kids. We realized last yer how great it was to do something that we all loved.  One thing for sure...we all have a passion for music!  Biff and I have always shared our love of music...and grew to appreciate each others' and learn to appreciate and have an open mind to all different music.

It's April and I am reminded today of the fun we had on Earth Day while we lived in Boston.  A great city for diverse college students, they always planned great concerts in the famous Boston Pops Orchestra on the Esplanade.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E51cmyZmwdA
We saw some unbeatable bands of all kinds.  Our babies danced to some of the new and most on the cusp.  For Biff and I, it was exciting just to get out and her more than Raffi.
http://sz0071.wc.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/mail#4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E51cmyZmwdA

It does seem like we have chosen music awareness and to give our kids exposure has really been  priority. It's one of those things that has been important in our lives...and it has just come to be for our children.  Nature vs. nurture? We have always tried to open them up to different worlds.  Music is big.

Although, we have opened the door to many music venues, our kids have not chosen to push the door open! My grandma was a wonderful pianist. Just like my grandmother's high hopes for my mom, my mom had high hopes for me...just as my mom had high hopes for me, I had high hopes for Grace and possibly T.J.

After my grandma, the gene pool must have cannon balled.  Mom had no desire due to a terrifying teacher.  Although my teacher wasn't terrifying, he did smell like garlic!  I lived in a terrified state....every Friday night on the way to my lesson!  Terrified because I hadn't practiced enough.

Then, my mom gave us my piano!  It was time for Grace to take lessons.  She was thrilled!  She had the gene.  Grace was great and had a great understanding.  The teacher was a bit odd ...and understatement.  Grace did very well and had a recital and some play at the nursing home for Christmas. Biff and I were so proud.  We should have listened to our own little girl better...the teacher was a bad fit. We found out too late!

We attempted to have her taught by a friend who really knew how to teach!  It never really worked...Grace had lost her enthusiasm.  I still dream that she may find it on her own one day....if it's something that she cares about!

T.J. took the trumpet....even though I mixed it up and brought home a trombone for him!  oops.  He took trumpet for 2 years and loved it....until he didn't!  When his teacher had a bit of  temper tantrum in the class...T.J. looked at his trumpet time as  risk to his life!  And that was that.  Career over.

Our kids just love it and appreciate music. Is that enough?  I guess they'll let us know....All we can do is share the joy of music.



 From a Christmas concert at the chapel at B.U. to South Shore Conservatory of Music
http://www.sscmusic.org/preschool_hingham.html
....mommy and me
music classes....pre-school at the Conservatory to St. Patrick's Cathedral....marching bands...parades....school talent shows and concerts ....weddings....bagpipes at funerals.....playing instruments like the violin and the trumpet and the piano and the recorder....they'll find their own way! Even if it's only to relax or tap their toes!

By the way, I left music on for Daisy and Fitzy when we left tonight for the concert...."Through  A Dog's Ear"...http://www.throughadogsear.com/....
I bought this book with  c.d. for the dogs.  There have been studies to show that certain rythyms and tones do  allow the dogs to calm... calm...and relax.


The kids thought it was crazy to have music for the dogs.  To me, it seems natural...why not give it a try.  After all, Fitzy has some sort of separation anxiety...this music has offered her quiet and peace and calm.  DO they have a c.d. like that for us?

I do know that it's a wonderful thing to share music.
WE ALL HAD A GREAT TIME TONIGHT!