Ensemble Concert 2019

 It was a little over 3 years ago when Captain Awesome began playing piano. My dad suggested signing him up for music when he was only 4 years old. At the time Captain Awesome wasn’t even in preschool and had never really been a part of a class with a teacher, aside from when he went to the library for story time and even that was really a stretch for what could be considered a class-like environment.

From the very beginning of music, I was “gung-ho”. As a child I wanted to learn to play the piano. I was curious and thought it was incredible the way certain combinations of keys made beautiful music. My dad attempted to teach me (music was his career) when I was in the third grade, but he quickly got frustrated with me just as fast as I lost interest. I remember having only a few lessons before my keyboard sat and collected dust in our family room at my mom’s house. 

In middle school I picked up the flute only because that was what my mom played in high school and that’s what we had at the house for me to play. I always did really well with it and was often chosen as first chair even though I rarely practiced. Ultimately, I ended up giving up music to be able to play sports in high school. I thought because I wanted to play sports, I couldn’t play music anymore. Looking back I now know that not to be true. If I truly wanted to continue playing music and play sports as well, I could have found a way. 

That being said, I believe Captain Awesome’s beginning to play piano rekindled my former romance with music and while the teacher has been teaching him for the last three years, I’ve been getting a two for one deal. I’ve learned just as much as him if not more because I am able to conceptualize the whole teaching and apply it to not just what he is assigned, but other music as well.  

I have enjoyed Captain Awesome’s and my own learning so much that I find it hard to find a reason to stop going to music. The positives far outweigh the negatives. It has been a such an awesome experience that my little one couldn’t wait to start music. Lieutenant Amazing started music lessons a little over a year ago and has enjoyed it as much if not more than his older brother. I was one proud mom while I sat at the edge of my seat. 

Both boys performed so well. I was truly impressed and amazed. Here they are at only 7 and 5 and have already had multiple performances on stage. And this year thankfully Lieutenant Amazing did not jump off the stage. This series is their ensemble concert which happens every year at this time. They have the opportunity to play along side their classmates and as they increase in ability they take on various parts to play along side their peers who have a different part as well.

Some people think I am crazy because of the distance I drive to take my kids to music. It was even recently brought to my attention that there is someone local who could teach them piano at a reasonable price. I seriously considered it, just thinking about all of the time I spend commuting to and from music and if I took them locally I would have the commute time for myself. But after sitting through a couple of rehearsals and listening to Captain Awesome play along side of two peers who were playing different parts of the same song while

he was able to maintain his own part, I thought otherwise. It was truly an amazing experience listening to my first grader play the piano beautifully along side of classmates that were also playing the piano beautifully but were playing entirely different parts of the song together. It was a phenomenal experience.

At this point in time I love the music school and what it is giving my children more than I mind driving 45 minutes each way, even if the Ensemble concert brings on the crazies. This year we weren’t quite as lucky as last year and actually had our kids scheduled at two different concert times, which meant we had one concert in the morning and the other concert was the last one that night. I felt bad that we snuck out of the last concert rather than staying for the whole thing, but at that point my five year old was done and had to use the restroom. 

All in all we had two highly successful concerts. The kids were happy with their performances and the excitement of playing with peers on the big stage. I was beyond stoked for the kids and the celebrations of what they now know on the piano. I don’t see myself stopping their music lessons anytime soon. Unless I am able to find something just as beneficial for them. On the way home my husband and I talked about when to give them the choice to continue taking music lessons or not. I honestly answered, that I didn't know when we would give them that choice. At this point I believe continuing to take music class gives them far more advantages than not and besides they enjoy it too.