Field Trips Then and Now

Back when I was in high school, I remember we had opportunities to go to fine arts events.  There was one concert in particular I remember.  It was a young artist series and we got to see a young man play the cello.  His tuxedo didn't fit very well, but I remember I really enjoyed the concert.  He was just starting out at the time, which is why he was playing for students.

I remembered that young man often as I learned the harp.  Seeing and hearing him helped me realize that solo instruments could draw an audience.  To this day I think hearing good live music is one of the most valuable gifts we can give children - and ourselves.

Here are Wasabi Girl and Jungle Boy off to see "Rigoletto" at San Francisco Opera.  They are going on a field trip with their symphonic band.  It's really just a dress rehearsal, which is why the tickets were available to schools.  Jungle Boy wanted to dress up anyway.  I think they look great.

Not everyone appreciates opera.  I love some, don't care as much for others.  But I believe trying  new experiences like this is like trying new foods.  You can't really know unless you experience it.  I'm grateful that their school gave them this opportunity.

And that young man who played the cello in the ill-fitting tux?  His name was Yo-Yo Ma.  He's won many many awards in his brilliant career.  I'm proud to say I've been a fan since we were both very young.

Music Appreciation

There are no longer classical music performances at the Grammys.   In earlier years, there were a wide variety of musical styles represented, and the show, to me, was much more entertaining. 

Witness this blockbuster performance by Wynton Marsalis in 1983.  He plays both a classical and a jazz piece because he was nominated for each that year.  As he is set to begin the jazz number, his third valve appears to stick and need valve grease.  But it's live television.  He signals to his bandmates to begin and plays anyway - without using the third valve.  This meant he had to do a lot of alternate fingerings on the fly.  It takes incredible talent to be able to pull that off. 

In his acceptance speech at the end of the video, Wynton thanks the great masters of jazz music.

. . .all the guys who set a precedent in Western art, and gave an art form to the American people that can not be limited by enforced trends or bad taste.

Well said.

The faddish nature of the current Grammys was driven home to me by the sad collection of twitter posts from young people asking "Who the heck is Paul McCartney?"

Have people lost all sense of musical history and appreciation of musical styles?  Did my generation learn more about this from our homes, or education programs that didn't cut music?

The Washington Post did an interesting experiment back in 2007.  They placed a violinist in a DC metro station and set up a camera to see how many people would stop to listen.  In the course of an hour, with over 1000 people passing through the station, only 6 stopped.  He made $32.17 in bills and coins thrown into his violin case.

The violinist was Joshua Bell, who that year won the Avery Fisher prize as the best classical musician in America.  He was playing some of the most beautiful and difficult music ever written on a 3.5 million dollar violin.  Three days earlier, people had paid $100 each to hear him perform in Boston.

Parents felt cheated when it was determined that all those "Mozart for babies" CDs weren't really making babies any smarter.  As if they had wasted their time playing Mozart. 

Mozart isn't just for babies.  Music is for a lifetime.  Tweens should listen to Chopin along with their Taylor Swift.  Teenagers should listen to Sinatra as well as Bon Iver.  Moms should listen to Latin jazz (which, unfortunately, is no longer even recognized as a category by the Grammys).  Old people should listen to bluegrass.  Really, there is so much great timeless music out there that we should all be listening and learning our whole lives.

Let's remind our kids to keep open minds and ears.  And always listen to and tip the live musician!

It's all about the music

by threeundertwo related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]

I admit I'm pretty excited that Wasabi Girl is showing an interest in vintage jazz. Music has always been such a huge part of my life that I know what rewards it brings.  The sooner kids discover great music the longer they have to enjoy it.

Jungle Boy is the classical music kid.  He can tell you all about composers and especially trumpet concertos, since he plays the trumpet.

Drama Girl?  Her love of music is firmly grounded in top 40, which is all fine too.  She spent a day last week with Lady Gaga turned up loud while she practiced pirouettes in the family room.  No legs were broken - on Drama Girl or the furniture, so I guess it all ended well.

As for me, my first love will always be classical music, but I listen to a lot of different styles.  I used to say I hated country music until I set up a sewing area in the garage.  There was only one radio station that I could pick up there - guess who really likes country music now?

How about you?  What genres make you smile?

[Title of Show]

We all went out as a family last night to see [Title of Show].  Yes, that's the name of it.  It's a musical about 2 guys writing a musical for an upcoming festival.  Unable to come up with a topic, they decide to write about writing a musical.  They enlist the help of two actress friends and spend three intense weeks writing about what they're doing during those three weeks.

In a case of art imitating life, or maybe life imitating art (it gets confusing), their show not only makes it into the festival but gets an off-Broadway run and eventually makes it to Broadway.

In reality, the show's writer, composer, and director all won Obie awards (off-Broadway versions of a Tony) and the writeer, Hunter Bell, was nominated for a Tony.

As the real show was gaining stature and popularity, the show itself was edited to reflect the updates.  The audience gets to share in the joy of the characters real rise to fame.  There is even a snarky review that ends with the line "I bet you'll put this in the show" - and they did.

The show is funny and a little raunchy.  Definitely PG.   It's a wonderful exploration of the nature of creativity, goals, and self-doubts.  If you're creative in any way, this is a perfect musical to see.  Standout numbers include "Die Vampires, Die," about the little voices in our head that tell us we're not good enough, and a solo about remembering the joy of childhood, called "A Way Back to When."  There's a video of it on youtube but my computer is having trouble putting it on the blog this morning.  If you're really interested, you can find it here. 

The kids enjoyed it and were quoting funny lines on the way back home.  I recommend this one if you get the opportunity to see a production in your town.

Makes My Monday: The Classical Music Fan

I have the twins' ipods on my iTunes account. It was just easier when we set it up to have all of  the transactions go through a single account. Also, I have the largest collection of music, so it's easiest to just slide things onto their hardware.

About a year ago, my son asked me to download some trumpet pieces, since he plays the trumpet. He's always liked classical music (it gets played a lot in our house) so I gave him dozens of different types of pieces.

Yesterday, he asked for the William Tell Overture. I think his band teacher had played a recording of it. I connected his ipod to my computer and prepared to load it.

One of the features on the iTunes software is the ability to see how many times a song has been played. Out of curiosity, I sorted his music by number of plays and nearly fell out of my chair when I saw the most popular piece.

The Haydn trumpet concerto in E flat Major. 533 plays. Five hundred, thirty-three.

I guess he likes that piece.  I'm astounded.

Finding out what my son really loves makes my Monday.  To see more Monday makers, visit Cheryl at Twinfatuation.

Makes My Monday: Musical Clothes

I came late to the ipod party.  I've always had a lot of cds and I never saw the need for an ipod until another blogger pointed out that it was a great way to archive an entire collection.  Now that I have one, I don't know how I ever lived without it.

But I've never been a huge fan of those little earbuds.  I tend to put my ipod into a speaker dock.

Look what I found while waiting for a daughter to try on clothes.   A "techno hoodie."  For some reason I find this infinitely more appealing than the omnipresent white cords that attach to everyone's ears.  The ear buds are built into the strings of the hood, and the headphone jack is in the pocket. 

Look out world.  I'm going to be listening to Mahler while I do my grocery shopping.  Because I'm cool like that.

To see more happy thoughts for Monday, visit Cheryl at Twinfatuation.  Better still - play along and find something to smile about to start the week.

Finished for Friday: Free Christmas Books and Music

I'm spinning into the holiday around here, wondering how I'm going to get it all done.  I notice a lot of friends on Facebook are already addressing Christmas cards.  Ack!  I hadn't even thought about mine yet.

I'm also busy driving the kids back and forth to the next city for Nutcracker rehearsals.  The preparation for that includes a grand scavenger hunt (girls can only wear Rimmel lipstick color #202, boys can only wear a particular shade of brown that's impossible to find.)  I still need to sew white elastics on one pair of black ballet shoes and black elastics on a different pair.  Tell me the truth, if you're watching The Nutcracker, do you notice the color of the elastic on the shoes of the dancers?  I suppose someone does.  Far be it from me to mess up the grand designs of the costume mistress.

There are two sure things that get me in the holiday spirit.  One is music, the other is a good Christmas story.  I'll share a few I've been enjoying this past week.

For your mp3 player, I recommend "The Wexford Carol" by Andreas Vollenweider.  This is some decidedly different harp music that would work great in a playlist that includes artists like Mannheim Steamroller.

If you haven't downloaded music from Amazon before, it's very simple.  You'll be prompted to download their tool, which just takes a few seconds.  Then your music will automatically show up in iTunes (or whatever player you prefer to use on your computer).

Amazon has a lot of free music, often for a limited time.  It's worth checking throughout December because they feature a new free holiday song each day.  You may also be interested in one of their free "samplers" of Christmas music. I recommend the Sugo Music Free Holiday Sampler and Timeless Christmas.  If you don't like all the tracks, you can always delete a few and keep the ones you like.

On to books.  Although this one is no longer free, it was a lovely holiday read and you may want to add it to your list of books to pick up.

A Simple Amish Christmas is about Annie Weaver, a young woman who has left the community for a few years and become a nurse.  We begin by seeing her in a familiar busy hospital setting, but soon venture with her back home to a life of quiet simplicity.  Once there, she faces challenges and decisions about how she will use her skills and find her place within her community.

I haven't read much about the Amish, so the descriptions of everyday life and home were fascinating to me.  It was definitely a book that brought some calm and peace to my busy days.  Now I want to read some more in this genre.


I've also enjoyed a few shorter works, which are free.  Beasley's Christmas Party is a charming old-fashioned tale from Booth Tarkington.  The Bird's Christmas Carol is a forgotten classic that's very sweet and funny and finally The Burglar and the Blizzard, while not particularly Christmassy, is witty and fun along the lines of P. G. Wodehouse.  All recommended for some cozy fireside reading.

What have you been up to this week?  Link up and show us.  Have a wonderful weekend.  I'm off to order my Christmas cards now.

Tuesday Toonlet

The Elvis of My Generation by threeundertwo related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]

Makes My Monday: Superior

Wasabi Girl took part in the annual California Music Educators Association auditions on Saturday. She received a "Superior" rating for her saxophone solo and also a Superior rating for her trio performance.

She performed before a judge who rated her and gave comments on her performances. I remember doing many of these when I was a kid and frankly, I have to say this is pretty nerve-wracking - especially for the parent. Now I know what my mom meant when she said she would stop breathing for three minutes while I played.

I am so proud of Wasabi Girl for showing her talent. She works hard and practices faithfully. Her achievement makes my Monday. For more Monday happiness, visit Cheryl at Twinfatuation.

Thursday Theater

And now Wasabi Girl and her twin Jungle Boy would like to serenade you:

I think this may be the cutest put-down I have ever received. Is this from a musical or something? I hope somebody knows. They learned it in chorus at school.

Thursday Theater is hosted by Goddess in Progress. This weeks theme was "mad skillz" so I'm going to stretch it a bit and say that this skill is singing. And standing awkwardly in front of mom's camera.

Don't forget to join me tomorrow for "Finished for Friday." Link up something you've finished up this week.

Way Back When-esday: Piano Recital 2004

In defiance of Mr. Anonymous and his comment yesterday, I am posting a picture of my cutie bugs from one of their first piano recitals back in 2004. As you can see, I had a little trouble getting all 3 to look at the camera and smile at the same time.

Recitals mean playing on the gorgeous gigantic grand piano at the rec center, dressing up, doing your best, but most of all - eating cupcakes and brownies at the party afterwards. I think that's the most important aspect for my kids to this day. Sweet playing deserves sweet rewards.

You can play along with Way Back When-esday at Twinfatuation.

Wordful Wednesday: Music

"Mom! You have to see this! This it the most totally random piece of music ever."

"Actually honey, that's kind of a famous song. I played that on the piano when I was your age."

"What? That's crazy! How could this be a famous song? It's bizarre!"

And then it hit me. I knew what the title meant, but he was reading it rather literally:



He's been walking around waving to the walls and saying "goodbye old paint!" ever since, and laughing every time. For the uninitiated, "Old Paint" is a horse. This is an old cowboy song. I guess his music teacher didn't explain that.

I'm still playing songs that sound like what they describe. Currently on my music stand is a song about a bunch of dancing elves. Makes about as much sense as singing about an old horse.


I think I totally cheated on the picture part of this, but if you want to see real pictures, like of cute kids and sunrises and other tangible things (maybe even some paint) go visit Angie at Seven Clown Circus who hosts Wordful Wednesday.

Wordful Wednesday: Kids = Noise

Once, the house was noisy with squealing babies. Then, the house was overrun with toddlers who could shriek and giggle and bang pans like nobody's business. When they hit elementary school the kids could screech "Trick or Treat!" loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear.

It figures they'd find some way to turn up the volume again in middle school.

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus. And seriously, you have to click over there to see the picture she has today. It's hilarious.

Don't forget to join me on Friday with something you've finished!

The Scat Song

The twins are back from Outdoor School. The fine staff there has enlightened them on the mysteries and awesomeness of nature. They visited tide pools, made friends with banana slugs, and learned the biological term for animal droppings. There's even a song about the latter.

Christmas Music

Love it or hate it, it's that time of year again. Christmas music time. The time when some radio stations play the same 20 Christmas songs endlessly, and nobody stops to wonder about Sammy Davis Jr, Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand singing about the Lord's birth.

You can tune it out, but you can never really escape. It's in stores, on commercials, and popping up on blogs. It takes a fair degree of cynicism for those who celebrate Christmas to say they hate Christmas music, but who can blame them when the most hackneyed, overplayed tunes get the most air time?

There are some offenders that I personally can't stand;

• Anything by the Beach Boys or Elvis.
• "Do They Know It's Christmas Time?"
  
• "Last Christmas" by Wham

But there is so much good Christmas music out there that it's worth seeking it out and listening to it. I have a hundred Christmas albums but there's one thing I turn to even more this time of year than my ipod.

Accuradio.com

They have over 30 different channels of holiday music alone. You can listen to reggae Christmas, or Broadway Christmas, or new music released this year. If you can't find something you like among their mixes, you can make your own. Best of all? You can check off the artists you don't want to hear. Bye-bye Beach Boys and Elvis for me. When a song is playing you can click on the album pictured and go right to the Amazon link if you're interested in buying it. While you're at accuradio, check out all the non-holiday genres of music they host. I love it.

This is just my own opinion, and I was not paid to endorse this product. Accuradio is free.

What has the elf been up to?

Sharp eyes spotted a little bit of his green shoe peeking out from a cookie jar.



I get the hint. The jar is empty. I need to get cooking.

About that Harp

The harp in my avatar is not my harp, it's the harp I daydream about. It's the Louis XV Special Concert Grand 23k harp available from Lyon and Healy, and it will be mine when I raise $179,000.00. Plus tax and shipping.

I love it because it is so completely, insanely, over-the-top. The original was commissioned by the owner of a coal mine for his daughter and was finished in 1916 after craftsmen worked on it for two years. I think the coal miner must have a) really loved his daughter's music and b) had more money than he knew what to do with.

The history of the original instrument is interesting and includes time spent in museums, and ownership by a number of famous harpists and recordings made from it.

Because you see, it is not only finely made, it is reputed to have a spectacular sound.

So this is the harp I want, if I come into a fortune somehow or win the lottery.

Or maybe this is the one I'll get if I get to heaven. I'm hedging my bets on getting in - I think they probably need more harp teachers up there.

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Responses to comments yesterday: Remembering Summer

Beth, I like cold December days too, but in really small doses. Blakely, the flowers look better than the ones in my yard. We have a problem with deer munching blooms. What a Card, I'm too nervous a mom to let her try rollerblades yet. She does ice skate, but I think the old fashioned skates are just fine for sidewalks. Amy, we are lucky here that it's never humid. Summers are pretty nice. Good N Crazy, I inherited some roses when we moved in here, and I've learned to deal with them, but they're not my favorite to grow either. I like the climbing ones I put along my fence though -- those are the ones in my header. Noble Pig, I used to have skates like that when I was a kid. I love them too. Angie and Scary Mommy, isn't it funny to get nostalgic when it's barely over? But between kids going back to school and all the Halloween stuff in stores, I feel like summer is long gone.

Photo tour

Remember that misadventure I had basting a quilt? It's taken me months to finish, but now all the pins are finally out, and it's all done. Here's a nice crooked picture to make you seasick. Note to self: learn to use a camera.

My twins aren't the only twins in the neighborhood. We see these two all the time when we're driving around, but I never have my camera with me. Yesterday they came up our street. They don't have their cute white spots any more, but they're still small.


Here's their mom. She stared at me for a long time. I gave her the URL for How Do You Do It?


Wasabi girl is learning how to play her saxophone. Actually, I think I can say she learned to play the saxophone yesterday. She learned how to play the first three notes in band and she came home and spent hours working on them. By the time she was done, she was able to make a good sound.


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Responses to comments from yesterday: And the blog button goes to

Beth, I'm so glad you're enjoying my blog - but don't get in trouble at work on my account! Laura, I love lip smackers! Got any Dr. Pepper flavored? Nancy, feel free to use the idea, it certainly helps me feel like I'm closing the loop with my commenters. Cheryl, you can bring the Love's Baby Soft, but don't forget we're going to play with our makeup later. noble pig, I hope the blankie helped! LOL. Eileen, you're welcome! Good N Crazy, go for it! Of course, I'm going to claim full credit when this takes off like wildfire all over the blogosphere. angie, you're welcome! Kelsey, thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Singing Today

In honor of it being the 25th of the month (only 4 months until Christmas!) I'm singing a little Christmas carol today. I've been singing this to my kids a lot lately. Wonderful tune.



For some reason my kids don't think this is as funny as I do.

And here they go!

Moms Don't Know Anything: Piano Edition

Jungle Boy Says by threeundertwo related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]

I believe in torturing children mercilessly for no good reason. I believe in doing time at hard pointless labor. I believe in boring children to tears. I believe in piano lessons.

When I first led them down this road, when they were 5 and 6 years old, I told them "You only have to take lessons until you can play the Bach Inventions. All of them. From memory. They nodded their little heads obediently because after all, I was their mom, and they were small, and they adored me and all the adventures I took them on.

All three kids sat together at the teacher's house and took their turns at the piano. A few months into lessons, when she graduated from playing only the black keys, Drama Girl hesitantly asked her teacher about the Bach Inventions.

The teacher played one for her. My evil plot was revealed. The kids were small, but they knew "impossible" when they heard it. All calculations of when they would be "done" with piano lessons flew out the window. They clearly had a life sentence.

They protested. I stood my ground. I sat with them at the piano bench during practice when they were little. Then they graduated to a kitchen timer, and now they practice thoroughly, and well, if not every day. In our house they know nothing fun happens until practicing is done. Want to play on the wii? Gotta practice first. Want to have a friend over? Want to have dinner? Want to live another day? You must practice.

We recently re-negotiated the Bach Inventions deal. Now they only have to be able to play a Christmas Carol at sight. They're actually pretty close to this goal.

As a parent, I get to see the side of the story they can't. How they accidentally fell in love with the power they have over the piano. The thrill they get in mastering pieces. My house is full of waltzes, Mozart, Bach, High School Musical tunes, ragtime and Blues. I see them play proudly for their friends. Last Thanksgiving they put on an impromptu concert for our guests while I finished cooking. I nearly cried. The relatives were suitably impressed. All Christmas season, I awaken to Christmas Carols. Is there any more pleasant way to wake up?

But what goes around comes around, and along with the musical knowledge has come a thirst for more. So now Drama Girl "entertains" us with "Stairway to Heaven" on the violin (ouch!), and next year Wasabi Girl will play the alto sax and Jungle Boy will play the trumpet in the Middle School Band.

I may live to regret the musical beasts I have awakened.


Previously in this series: Moms Don't Know Anything: Hair Edition

It's So Hot

Ophelia broke a string in protest. Poor old girl.