My ES has never been to a music camp before. This is somewhat amazing, since the boy has always exhibited a passion for music. My husband says, "No wonder! It is in his genes!" My husband has a master's degree in trumpet performance and I began playing an instrument at the age of 7.
ES's elementary school back in IL had a fabulous music instructor, Dr. Sherry Jones. One of my favorite things about working as an individual assistant was accompanying my student to the twice-weekly music class. Dr. Jones taught the students a vast amount of musical knowledge. They learned rhythm and note identification. They received instruction on keyboards, recorders and drums. They learned about famous composers. I will cherish the memories of those classes for myself, but also for my son, because I had a chance to glimpse what he was learning as well.
Dr. Jones, with assistance from another fabulous teacher in that school, Ms, Sharon McKee, also offered a drum club for after-school participation. My son was very keen on this and anxiously awaited the time when he would be old enough to join. Then, once he became a member, he began to desire an instrument at home. For his birthday, in either his third or fourth grade year (my memory is fuzzy here), he paid half of the purchase price for a soprano marimba. He memorized other student's parts. He was just crazy about the whole enterprise.
Prior to our move to Indiana, we came to view his elementary school here. We were thrilled to find out that this school also offered a drum and marimba club and gave fifth graders their choice of instruments to play. We anticipated more sound instruction and further participation. ES joined the group at his first opportunity.
As their first concert approached, I began to wonder why I wasn't hearing much about it. Finally, he said, "You really don't need to come. The songs are all boring and the students complain that they are too hard." He showed me his music and revealed songs full of whole and half notes. Poor guy! He was thoroughly bummed. We attended anyway, and came home with a pervasive sadness shrouding our family. To bring us out of the doldrums, we pulled out home video of ES's final concert with the IL school drum club. Let me tell you, they rocked! I must try to figure out how to share some of this video on my blog.
When ES approached middle school sign-up, he was vehemently opposed to taking band. He tried to argue that band was for nerds and none of his friends were going to be taking band. My husband and I simply stated that the decision wasn't his and he would be taking band.
Within a few weeks, he changed his tune. He did have friends in band and it was something he came to really enjoy. We had to rent an instrument packet (which included a set of bells, a drum pad, sticks and mallets and stands) for the first month. We decided he was clearly going to remain interested, so we purchased the packet and he began pounding away in the afternoons. He was proud to point out that his instructor almost always put him on the snare drum because he knew ES could handle the part.
I'm guessing that his band friends turned him on to Guitar Hero. We loved having some of them come over from time to time. My husband would pull out one of his many trumpets and begin to play a little bit (he never showed off, which he could have easily done). I'd sometimes grab the instrument as well and belt out a little bit here and there. His friends were astonished that we could play (they didn't know our backgrounds). Now, when they come over, they tend to spend more time on the Guitar Hero game, but we still enjoy their visits.
Guitar Hero led to the friend giving ES his old electric guitar. This was a god-send, since ES signed up for an elective guitar class at camp. The camp required campers to bring their own instruments. Now ES had a guitar for the elective.
He had been wanting to get a drum. One of his friends, actually owned two drum sets (one at his father's house and one at his mother's), so ES approached him and asked if he would like to sell one. Surprisingly, the answer was yes. So, a few weeks before ES was due to leave for a camp where he was supposed to provide his own instrument, he purchased a used drum set for $30.
We took both the guitar and the snare drum to the music store and had them serviced. He is already scoping out other friends for a drummer's stool to sit on. Ha! I'm thrilled with his enthusiasm and thrilled that the Lord provided the instruments we needed for this week of camp.
2 comments:
Michael has decided to sign up for percussion for 4th grade band. Your post reminds me we need to sign up this month so that his rental kit is ready when school starts. Similar to ES--bell kit and pad to start. He wrestled with the trumpet vs. percussion and when he couldn't make a decent sound in the mouthpiece, he was steered towards percussion. My cousin Kris on my dad's side has a master's degree in percussion. He's a band director and is well-known for developing his steel drum bands. Michael has heard him play several times and seems to like the idea that playing percussion isn't all about a garage band. We'll see how it goes! ~Karin
Karin - Sounds like just another reason why we should vacation together sometime. I think Michael and B would really enjoy getting to know each other (and Michael would so "get" T!)
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