Notes Among the Noise

Our home is slowly becoming a musical Mecca. Scott and Shelby have been practicing their guitars and Tucker's junior sized guitar arrived today. (Which, I was asked to inform everyone, he bought with his own money.) He is quite anxious to join Scott in learning to play and his goal is to play worship songs "as soon as possible" so he can supplement the singing with our church family.

We now have four children actively studying piano with three more trying desperately to catch up. Just today I found Keats practicing tapping his fingers shortly after I worked with Tucker on his music theory. I stood around the corner and watched for a few moments as Keats systematically whispered the numbers for each finger while tapping. Then he promptly went over to the piano and worked on Tucker's 2-3 exercise. When I finally rounded the corner, Keats's grin split his face as he beamed at me.

Dawson, who still talks about playing football, came up to me after he and Tucker had a mini-concert tonight and said "Mom! I had no idea how cool it would be to play with my brother! That was so much better than wrestling him to the ground!"

This was our first Christmas with carols sung round the piano and it was every bit as Dickens as we dreamed it would be. We have had birthdays with musical accompaniment and frustrations have been soothed over the keys while Hayden drifts out instead of angry words. 

We ate a vegetarian rice dish for dinner the other night, which was actually quite tasty. But some nights I really, really miss eating meat. We still eat meat - but it's more of a luxury item these days. Some of it is due to the higher costs of the healthier meats we insist on eating. Some of it is due to personal choice to put that money towards our goals of becoming debt free. And some of it is due to the cost of weekly music lessons. 

I am watching our children gain an appreciation for music along with the ability to use it. There is such a palpable joy when one of them successfully masters a piece that has been giving such trouble. And as the abilities are beginning to grow, so is the camaraderie and laughter over the keys and strings. 

I can't even imagine what family gatherings will be like 15 years from now, with some children still at home and learning and others returning for visits. And I think it is that thought that helps to keep me scouring the internet for vegetarian recipes. The idea of eight grown children with their families all laughing over that baby grand we will someday squish into our home.

Bring on the noise.