"The fact that children
can make beautiful music
is less significant
than the fact that music
can make beautiful children"
-Cheryl Lavender
I don't know who Cheryl Lavender is, but wow... she nailed it!
As many of you know, Grace is becoming quite the pianist. Honestly, music is sort of her life (or at least a significantly large chunk of it). She has big plans, and those plans include becoming a piano teacher someday. She practices for more than an hour on most days, without being asked. She composes music. Everyone loves to hear her play when they visit. People like to hear her play at church. Grandmas and Grandpas come for her concerts and recitals. She wins stuff. I am over the moon proud of her. Undoubtedly, Grace makes beautiful music. This post is in no way intended to diminish that fact.
But then there's Caleb...
Caleb loves life. He is in his second year of piano classes, and he is at least a full book behind his class. He doesn't really care, because he is hanging out with his friends (most of them have been in music class, together, since age four), and he is learning a little bit of something about music. Most people don't ask to hear him play when they come over. He practices when he thinks about it, which is roughly twice a week... for around 30 minutes. But today was "Mini Musicale", so he put in about an hour. I can't begin to tell you how many times I listened to "Oranges and Lemons" today.
At any rate, I joined him for Mini Musicale, but I knew we would have to leave early, as our basketball schedule is right on top of music class for the next nine weeks. I love to participate with Caleb in class... and what I mean by participate is watch. Caleb always... always... thinks I need to dance (even if the other parents are not). So, of course, I do (if you can call it that... I am seriously challenged in this area). After the longest dance of all time (well, except for "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy", to which I was subjected at the Christmas party, and may I say that Phil does a mean sugar plum fairy... much better than me), I paused to grab my camera, and the class was already dancing the new dance before Caleb realized I was conspicuously missing. I was so glad to capture this shot. Music does, indeed, make beautiful children"!
Shortly after the dancing, we had to go. The actual Mini Musicale, where the kids get to play several selections for the parents who are present, hadn't happened yet. As we walked through the doorway, Caleb exclaimed, "Mom! All my practice will be wasted!" We walked back in and I asked if Caleb could go first. Of course, he played "Oranges and Lemons"... and you know what? He played it just perfectly and got a star!
I wonder what we'll be listening to next week?
L.
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