Monday, April 24, 2006

Your kids may surprise you

You never know how your kids will really turn out. Sure, you have some idea. You instill the important ideas in them, and you can be pretty sure that they will take. But there are many things in their lives - like interests mostly - that can really change.

When my son was about ten, I enrolled both he and his sister in piano lessons. The assistant choir teacher where I taught had a baby and wanted to stay home with her child. She began giving piano lessons. I changed my daughter from the older woman who had been giving her lessons and started B as well.

K would listen to the teacher, and did fairly well. B did not want to practice. He was bored with the music I really believe. The teacher told me at the end of the "term" that I was really wasting my money giving B lessons. So we quit.
I really believe B has ADD. He struggled in school. Our district will not give up on open concept classrooms in elementary school. B was always distracted, and his elementary education set the stage for study habits through school. That bled over into his piano.

A few years later, B would sit at the piano and pick out tunes. Come to find out he inherited my grandmother’s ear. I had it for a while, but I had an old German piano teacher who wouldn’t allow the training of the ear. I am limited now. I have to have sheet music to play. That was a real problem for a while since I was a part time church organist.
B began band when he went to middle school, and that spurred his interest in music again. He became a very good trumpet player, and stayed with band all through high school. He became a good piano player even though he cannot read a note in the base cleft. Then he taught himself guitar.

He made several attempts to form a band. He went into rock first. That band never jelled, and he decided that rock was too hard on his throat. He would play country with a couple of guys at one private parties one family were always giving. People loved his voice.

A couple of years ago he was approached by a band to fill in for their lead singer. He became the lead singer. His day job changed his schedule and he had to quit that band for a time. They found another lead singer, and moved on. B didn’t have a band.

Fourteen months ago, two of the original band members approached B again about forming a new band. They did, and they play almost every weekend. They could probably play every weekend, but black out at least one weekend a month. The band is getting a great following. Their pay is increasing, and B is so very happy.

And I was wasting my money on piano lessons? Probably at that time. He regrets not following though with piano lessons, but he certainly is doing well with his music now!

Oh, and his sister. She went into basketball and can't play a note today.

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