Lydia Cello

Lydia was given a cello at Christmas with a year's worth of lessons. I am still overwhelmed by the generosity of the gift. Thankfully, Lydia is too. She loves the lessons and the practice. Her teacher took this picture for me to see that she has a "perfect bow hold" and that he was thrilled with how quickly she's learning.

Music is a wonderful way to glorify God and as a parent that's what keeps me driving to lessons. So, if you think those monthly fees and weekly trips to lessons are worth the effort - remember - they are! It's never money wasted to learn more music.

Just Say, "Jesus"?

After riding in the car with my daughter switching the radio station over and over, I was glad when she rested for a few moments on the local "inspirational" station. I was thinking that the worldliness of the music was too much for me and definitely too much for the little girls. What a silly thing to think I would find a relief on the station that's supposed to be "safe for the whole family."

My daughter laughed and flipped off the radio. She had heard the singer say something like, "When you don't know what to say, just say Jesus." She commented that it was like a magic potion or even like supercalifragulisticexpialidotious. When you don't know what to say, just say any word.

After discussing the song around the diner table the girls decided that it's seems like taking God's Name in vain.

Now to be fair, I don't know the song, the artist or his intentions. My complaint is with the Christian mainstream music industry. Lyrics are too often superficial and "relevant" without deep theology. Talent isn't well developed and repetition prevails.

Mainstream, popular Christian radio stations are so full of silly banter and fake laughter that they miss an opportunity to meet real spiritual needs. The feel good, self help entertainment isn't what our world needs. It needs a serious gospel witness. A witness that is clear with the Word of God, not watered down. 

I'll stop my rant now. 

My Pandora is almost always on the Sovereign Grace station. I  appreciate the old hymns updated with new music and the deep, biblical lyrics.

Funderful World of Music

All of our girls have been taking piano at Funderful World of Music for years. We are so thankful to Ms. Pam for giving them a love of music and a good foundation. Lydia had her Fall recital this past week. At each recital Ms. Pam chooses an ensemble for the children to play all together. They each play different parts and have to work together to get it just right. This year's song was perfect! I wish I knew how to upload videos because she did a great job on her solo and ensemble.

We feel strongly that music is a key part of the girls' education. There is so much evidence that it helps in brain development, but the discipline is important too. There are many hours of practice put in to perform a piece of music and that translates to many hours of practicing self-discipline. If a child can't practice self-discipline during childhood, the adult years could prove very disappointing for her. Think of the many problems adults have because they aren't disciplined over themselves. (And yes, I know my chocolate addiction is proof that I struggle with self-discipline too.)

Another thing I like about Funderful is the classroom setting. The children learn to follow, play along with and sometimes even lead others. Not everyone in the world is leaders, some of us have to follow. It may be important for our children to be strong and learn to lead, but in the end I think it's more important for them to be good followers. Because how can a child learn to follow Christ if she is only taught to lead?

Only a Mother's Child

I was riding in the backseat of the van with Lydia and Abigail when this song came on the radio that is really special to us. It's A Christmas Lullaby by Amy Grant. Somehow, years ago, it became the lullaby I would sing to the girls as they went to sleep. Apparently, this was the first time Lydia had ever noticed when anyone else sang it. When it came on, she gave me a little nudge and smiled a sweet smile. After we were quiet and listened for a while, she said, as only a little girl would, "Mommy, you sing it better than she does."

It is well with my soul

No matter how many times I hear that song I tear up. Our family have been moved many times by the story of this hymn. Years ago, when Rachel was learning to play hymns she learned this song. It became a comfort to all of our family when we had hard days of suffering. On some days of turmoil, when your soul is at its lowest, you can't do anything but think of hymns that God has given you in the past. It has been a comfort to our whole family to hear strains of comforting hymns like this flowing through our house. Last year, when Hannah was in the choir at Truett-McConnell, they sang a beautiful version of It Is Well and our church sings it often. Hymns minister to us in so many ways and I'm thankful that God has given them to us.

Arabian Nights

This is Mary's last year of music at Funderful World of Music, a program that we have been so thankful for. All of the girls have gone through the music program there from the time that they were about four years old. They learn to play the piano, but mostly they get a foundational love for music that will last them a lifetime. Hannah and I were talking about her practicing and came to the realization that I have never really had to make the girls practice, there have even been times when I have had to make them stop practicing. This isn't anything I have done, but the love of the program instilled by their all time favorite teacher - Ms. Pam.

Mary is third from the left

Every Spring she comes up with some creative idea for their recital and they have a great time singing and performing. This year's theme was Arabian Nights and the girls loved dressing up in the costumes and getting their hair done. (Thanks to big sister Sarah.) Mary chose the biggest musical challenge of all for her last piece- Ashokan Farewell and did a beautiful job! My prayer is that the girls will always honor God with this foundation of music. (The three older girls that graduated from the program have stayed involved with music by continuing to play the piano, singing, and learning other instruments, as well.)

Lydia with Ms. Pam

Rachel sings in the choir at North GA College and they performed Beethoven's Ninth with the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra Saturday night. I am amazed when I hear music performed like that and think about the genius musician who wrote it. Our whole family went and loved it. It was fun watching Lydia conduct with the symphony director and when "Ode to Joy" was in full swing she almost came out of her seat because she was so excited. ("Ode to Joy" is in her newest music book and she can't wait to learn it.)

Music in Homeschool

All five girls have their own hour to do music. That means they can practice during that time if they want to, but they must at some point in the day get in thirty minutes and they cannot encroach on someone else's time if they don't want them to. Because Rachel is studying music at college she usually gets preference when she needs extra time. (Supposedly two hours a day.) If you think about that too much you will realize that with five girls practising an hour a day plus an extra hour for Rachel, we could possibly be hearing six hours of music a day. Believe me, I always have music in my head.

14 Years of Music

When Hannah was almost three, I started searching out music programs. We originally chose Funderful World of Music because it was a class setting that I sat in with her and came highly recommended by a friend. Hannah was the middle child at the time and I wanted something that gave me one on one time with her and she could start learning the piano. What I found happening was her love for music increasing and her talents developing. The teacher, Ms. Pam, became more than a teacher - she became a part of our family. Even after the older girls graduated from the program, they couldn't move on to another private teacher. Ms. Pam comes into every class with cheerfulness and love for music and spills it over into the children. I have seen her take a classroom of unruly boys and settle them with her songs. She comes into her classes as a wife and mom with burdens of her own and never lets on that there is anything other than that class room of children.

A year or two later Rachel started a class for children her age and thus began years of Thursday afternoon music. We took one year off, but have added the younger girls at the appropriate age for each of them and as God would have it, the classes are still on Thursdays. The first class we went to we learned "Sayonara" and have sung it at the end of every class all these years. It's a sweet good bye song that has bowing motions and the mom gets a big hug at the end of the song every week. After Mary's recital last Thursday, Lydia's class met for their regular lesson so our whole family sat in on her class time. In a class of ten children with one parent each, our family stood out like a sore thumb. Ms. Pam introduced all of the girls, included them in some of the class games and asked Sarah to play "Carol of the Bells". At the end of the class period we all sang Sayonara. I was surprised at how special that would be to have all five girls and Ray bowing, singing and waving good-bye to our friends.

My eyes well up as I think of how special those music times are to our family and what music has done for us all. In our home it's not uncommon for one of the girls to call out to a sister, "Come play with me." (That means music.) Fourteen years later and several other instruments added, their music is not only recognizable, but beautiful. The most worn place in our home is where the piano sits and I can't say how blessed our home is because of that. And as I type this, two of the girls are practicing to play in a wedding in December.

The pictures above are - the traditional recital picture with Ms. Pam; Ray helping Lydia in the group lesson; Ms. Pam with the children gathered around the piano; and all five girls goofing off on the keyboards. They thought it would be a lot of fun for us to have five keyboards at home. After a few minutes, I was glad that we didn't.