Why Music?

Both of our boys play piano. Captain Awesome has been playing piano for nearly three years and Lieutenant Amazing has been playing piano for almost a year. 

It was my dad’s suggestion that Captain Awesome get started at the mere age of four, since that is the ideal time to train a child’s ear. At first I was a little unsure and did not realize the commitment that we were making. But since my dad had offered to pay for the lessons and at the time Captain Awesome hadn’t started participating in any organized activities, not even preschool yet. I thought, “We’ll give it a shot. See where it takes us.” Little did I know that three years later, we would still be driving 45 minutes to attend weekly music lessons. And now paying for Lieutenant Amazing to attend the school too. 

Music has become part of our daily routine. Every evening after school and work, we practice music anywhere from 20 minutes per kid to sometimes as long as an hour and 30 minutes for one kid, depending on the focus, preparation and fight they might put up. I say we, because it is a huge effort on my part too. I help each boy with their practice just about every night. While Captain Awesome is getting to the point where he can do more and more on his own, he still relies on my help to get him through the practice. And Lieutenant Amazing still has awhile yet, before he can even begin practicing on his own. 

Recently I’ve questioned whether it is worth all the time, effort and money that we are putting into this. It only took me a moment’s thought to think about all the benefits and realize that this is something I still want to fully commit to, even as time consuming as it is for me. This music thing is more than just learning how to play the piano. It is teaching our children important life lessons while also giving them the benefit of learning music. 

I have had to remind myself why it is I wanted this for our children in the first place, because recently it has been a daily fight to get Captain Awesome to practice willingly. The main reason I want our children to play music is the discipline that it teaches them. 

The fight with Captain Awesome comes when he starts a new song, that he doesn’t play well or is uncomfortable with. He will refuse to play it because he perceives it as too hard or is afraid of messing it up or being imperfect. The thing is life is hard and not perfect. If we allow ourselves to avoid trying something because we perceive it as too hard or are afraid it won’t be perfect, we will never challenge ourselves to do anything worth while. In essence, by Captain Awesome facing his inadequacies on a daily basis and challenging them until he overcomes them. He is learning the art of self-discipline, something I have struggled with my entire life. He is learning that if he tries hard enough and puts enough work into something he will eventually be able to achieve it. 

It is the delight in their eyes and face when they play a song better than they ever thought they could that keeps me pushing my boys to practice and play music. The joy and excitement that they experience when they play their songs well. That is what we're doing this for, that sense of accomplishment and achievement. Maybe someday they will thank us.