Music | A Mama's Blog

Ryan’s First Concert

February 26, 2008 By A Mama's Blog 2 Comments

Ryan participated in his first concert, if you could call it that today. One of his preschool teachers has been teaching the kids songs all quarter. Today was the last day of the winter quarter, and the parents were treated to a performance of all the kids singing. It was so cute. There were about 9 kids. Three just walked off the “stage” altogether, while a few of the kids were too shy to sing, and just stood there, looking at their hands.

Ryan was in a singing mood and stood up and sang for all of the songs. Half way through one of the songs, Cole walked right up to him, and handed him a toy. All the kids stopped singing to see what toy Cole handed to Ryan. Guess Cole is still a little too young for the whole concert concept. At any rate it was so neat to see him singing, and I just amazed how fast he is growing up. Isn’t this my little boy who wouldn’t udder a word to a stranger, let alone sing in front of a whole group of them, just a few months ago? Pretty cool how he is blossoming out of his shy little self, and enjoying this new phase of his personality.

Here is a picture of him singing, while doing a hand motion that went along with one of the songs.

Filed Under: Music, Ryan, School

Weekend Review- Jazz Band and Chili

February 11, 2007 By A Mama's Blog 3 Comments

On Friday night, Ryan and I went to hear a Dixieland Jazz band at a local art gallery. My dad met us there for a while, and it was fun.

There was a clarinet, a banjo, and a bass. It took Ryan about half an hour to feel comfortable there, and then he was unstoppable. He got out of his chair and was dancing up a storm. He was clapping after the solos, and saying “yeah,” after the band was done playing a song. We got to walk up to the instruments while the band was on break and look at them very closely. There were a lot of older people there, who commented to me how much Ryan seemed to be enjoying himself, and several people asked me where he learned to dance so well, and how he learned to keep a beat to the music.

Well, the dancing, I think you either know how to groove or you don’t, (I know he doesn’t get that from his father or myself), and as for keeping the beat, I have to credit his Music Together class.

There was a refreshment table there with cookies and punch, and he got his first taste of punch, which he really liked.

On Saturday night, my dad had my siblings, aunt, and cousins over for some homemade chili, and chili rellenos, which are always delicious. Ryan immediately made a beeline for the toys and didn’t look up for an hour, until Grandpa asked if anyone wanted cheesecake. Without missing a beat, Ryan jumped up and said, “I do!” and ran to the kitchen.

Cole was really fussy and wouldn’t let anyone hold him- except for me. We were thinking he had seperation anxiety, but today he woke up with a nasty, hacking, cough, so he probably didn’t feel well and was getting sick. Poor little guy. He doesn’t have any other symptoms, so I hope this doesn’t develop into anything more serious.

Today, we got a few things organized and I went grocery shopping. I actually planned out my own menu for the week, because I haven’t joined Relish yet, and I was too lazy to turn on the computer and do it, so I just made my own this week.

Joe’s parents got some new recliners and asked us if we wanted their old ones, which we took. They are La-Z-y Boys; one is navy blue and one is tan. They are really comfortable. We have them in our living room right now, and even though it is crowded in there, with all of the boys’ toys, these will be nice to sit on to read, and also when we eventually get a bigger house, they will be nice in a den or a rec-room. :-)

Filed Under: Family & Friends, Music, Ryan

Feuding (Dueling) Banjos

February 7, 2007 By A Mama's Blog 3 Comments

I am going to take Ryan to a dixieland jazz band on Friday night at a local gallery, and thought I would show Ryan some clips of a jazz band, so he would know what to expect, so tonight we were searching and watching some music clips on YouTube.

I actually found some good ones, and well, a three-year old’s mind jumps from one thing to another, and he saw a banjo in one of the clips and one clip led to another and before I knew it, we were watching Feuding Banjos (most people know this song as Dueling Banjos, but Feuding Banjos is the original name of the song), from…the movie gulp- Deliverance. (clicking on this link will only send you to the music clip that we watched.)

I don’t know why I didn’t just scroll down to find a band playing the song, I guess I just clicked on the first one I saw and Ryan loved the guitar and the boy playing the banjo in it. Uh, I have never seen the entire movie- only bits and pieces here and there on TV, and I have no desire to see it- and that certainly isn’t a movie for a child, nevertheless.

But Ryan loved the banjo and the guitar, and he was clapping his hands, and even Cole was bouncing around to the music. The song is actually a very technical and challenging piece of music, and the banjo (despite it’s stereotype) is one of the MOST difficult instruments to play, let alone master. I think it is pretty cool when people can play the banjo really well.

Anyway, back to the clip- the boy in the movie, wasn’t really playing the banjo- it was Eric Weissberg, according to You Tube posts and Wikipedia.

So after this is all done, I pop my head in the living room, and this is what I see:

My little boy tells me he is the boy on the computer, and he is playing his banjo (a plastic golf club). (If this picture doesn’t make sense to you, go back above and click on the link to Deliverance, the music clip we watched, and look at the boy playing the banjo- Ryan was mimicing him.)

So on one hand I want to laugh because this is just as about sweet and innocent as you can get, and on the other hand it kind of creeps me out too- oh well, I guess that is what I get for not thinking about it, before I showed him the clip.

However, here is another link to a band named, Groundpig, playing Feuding Banjos, if you want to hear the song but don’t want to open the Deliverance can of worms.

Okay, I think I have written enough about this, and I never thought I would be spending this much time writing about Deliverance. I think I need to go take a shower, because I have the creepys.

Filed Under: Music, Ryan

Music Class

February 1, 2007 By A Mama's Blog 4 Comments

Since Ryan was about a year old, we have been going to music classes, specifically, Music Together, on Thursday mornings.

Music has always been a big part of my life and my family’s life. My grandmother can play the piano brilliantly from ear. She can’t read music, but she can sit down and play any ANY song. She has performed in public many times, in various states and venues. My parents always encouraged my siblings and I in music, and I studied the flute from the time I was in 5th grade all through high school. I still have one and pull it out play it on occasion. I played the flute in the youth symphony during high school, as well as in marching band, jazz band, and orchestra. I participated in a lot of competitions and always really enjoyed them. I can also play the piccolo, piano a bit, and percussion- the mallets and xylophone. I also was in choir in school, and enjoyed singing, but my real love was playing the flute. Our band in high school actually got to be in a Disneyland parade, so I got to play the flute while marching down Main Street in Disneyland.

My older brother played the violin during Jr. high, and high school, and was also in the youth symphony. One of my younger sisters inherited my grandmother’s talent for the piano, and she can play the piano by ear, and she can read music. She also plays the violin, and taught herself (yes self taught) herself the clarinet. She also was very active in music during school, and played in the youth symphony. My youngest sister played the french horn, my mother sings, and my father can play the bass and has an amazing “musical memory.” He can tell you which composer, which orchestra, etc. plays a certain piece of music.

So by now you have gotten the idea how big a part of music has been in my life, and we hope to pass that down to our children. The Music Together program emphasizes that all children can learn to sing in tune, and keep a beat, when taught early enough. Ryan sways to music already, and his teacher says that is how small children keep the beat. He can hear a song, and “drum” the correct beat. He seems to really like singing, dancing, and playing instruments already. He is really interested in the guitar; I think because our MT teacher lets the kids come up and play her guitar after class. Joe and I have been talking about starting Ryan with an instrument when he is four, all though I don’t know what instrument it will be yet.

During the course of the class, we have also gotten to play with drums, tambourines, triangle, rhythm sticks, individual bells, and mallets just to name a few.

Our teacher is wonderful, and she allows siblings up to a year old to come with the older sibling for free, so Cole has been introduced to music as well, since before he was born. He bounces along to a lot of the songs, “plays” the rhythm sticks, and claps. Sometimes at home if I am singing, he’ll just start bouncing along with the beat- it is really neat to see. So I hope by attending Music Together, it will intoduce and start Ryan and Cole down a road for a life-long love of music.

Here are a couple of pictures of Ryan and I at class when he was about 18 months old (they are the only pictures I have of us during class, and were taken by my sister when she visited a class with us. The program encourages parent participation, so I am usually too busy participating to take pictures. )