We have seasons in our family: Fall: soccer, first band and orchestra concerts. Spring: more soccer, final band and orchestra concerts. Summer: swimming and tennis and travel. Winter: music, music, music....and maybe a handful of squash days and some ski days if we're lucky enough to get them (this year we will). But the music is what really picks up during this time with recitals, festivals and performances as well as competitions. It's in the winter that the boys play piano for judges and get scored and for the first time Gavin and Liam will compete in a music competition where a monetary award will be given. That competition was supposed to be today, but the snow pushed it off another week.
Music has become a defining piece of the Jared and Jodi family and even though I do not know how to play a single instrument I have been given the gift of a pretty good ear and a resolve to not giving in to whining over practicing. This makes a difference and I'm glad as it's the only real way I can contribute. Jared on the other hand is a musician and does an amazing job keeping the love of music alive in our home which ultimately matters the most.
Cello recital for Gavin and Caleb:
Piano festival: all the boys except Gavin received double superiors this year. When the boys found out that Gavin was the outlier they thought we were kidding as his performance was flawless. In fact he ended up playing the same piece as one of the oldest in the group and played more movements. We think the judges were just not ready to hear such a piece come out of someone so young.
Then there was jamming in the basement where Caleb and his buddy convinced Liam to take the vocals. He was perfect!
I love how Liam is belting it out here:
A week after that, on Valentine's Day to be exact, Jared and I headed out on a date and within a few minutes we got a phone call from Caleb tattling on Liam for something to which I told him to solve the problem and not to call us back. Apparently right after we hung up, they lost power and had to fend for themselves until we came home to flashlights through the windows at 10pm! What did they do during our date: ate cold cereal and hot chocolate for dinner, brought in all sorts of candles and blankets and then played music for the rest of the night. The next day, when the power was still out, they gave us a little concert:
Finally we had two Jazz festivals where Liam soloed on Blue Bossa: and Caleb played drums for Birdland the classic by Maynard Ferguson:
Arts Fest in the West...a fund raiser for the arts programs in our schools:
Finally the Winter Orchestra Concert:
Coming next is battle of the bands for Caleb due to debut in mid-March and a duet for Gavin and Jonah at the school talent show! Is it loud in my house...absolutely, do I have to either close myself off in the garage or pantry to have a conversation on the phone...absolutely, do I mind, absolutely not. I love that music will always define in some way all of my children!
