Thoughtful Thursday Week 51 – Recitals and Jitters

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Why am I more nervous when my children have recitals than when I used to have my own? Why don’t I feel my feet when they have their annual testing? Thankfully, testing is only once a year. Recitals come around every six months.

And now that our church family is aware that our children can play instruments, they ask for a special music now and then. It has already happened three times this year, so I think we could probably plan on a quarterly special music performance by either one of them for next year.

Thoughtful Thursday

My children, being as young as they are, view music and practice as a chore. Maybe it’s my fault. I do not know how to make it fun. And, perhaps, I do not believe that practice or learning of any sorts should be all cutesy and fun. I believe in hard work and learning or practicing a musical instrument is hard work.

Realizing our need for an attitude change, I recently spent some time with them telling them about the power of music to soothe and comfort the heart in a way that a sermon or a Bible verse or a book or a movie cannot. I reminded them that people come to church (or to kids’ recitals) with their problems, with their worries, with their issues. Music helps lift their burdens.

The kids’ music is, in a sense, an act of service: they have worked hard and they will get nothing material out of it. More skills, yes, but no money or a trip or an award and not even a sticker. Only the satisfaction that they have touched somebody, somehow. Even that may be wishful thinking. We don’t get a real confirmation other than a polite comment here and there from those who care enough to say a kind word.

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Thoughtful Thursday Week 21 – Recitals

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Twice a year, our son has music recitals: December and May. He takes piano and violin lessons. He enjoys both and it is hard to know right now if or when he will drop one and focus more on the one that he keeps. Recently, he even played a piano piece in church – his first special music.

Mom, son and daughter, after violin recital

With my son and daughter after his violin recital, May 2015

Here is his violin recital – Hunters’ Chorus by Carl Maria von Weber. His piano piece in church was Chant Arabe, an anonymous song from the first Suzuki piano book.

We are coming up in the world, my husband and I. We used to be the ones with the noisy babies, who could not even sit in church. Now, one of our babies is blessing our church family with music.

Thoughtful Thursday - Recitals

Several people came up to my son before and after his performance, to encourage him or to thank him for it. Continue reading »