Online Music Courses

Considering that my husband is a musician, music has always been a big part of our lives. Since I met Chris back in high school, he has been in bands, writing music, singing, and playing guitar. Chris is passionate about his music, and for our entire relationship he has spent a great deal of time at band practice and working on music in one way or another. I'm sure I've been to hundreds of shows, in every type of venue imaginable. From smoky, dingy bars to coffee houses to big amphitheaters, and everything in between, I've spent a fair amount of time listening to local bands. We've hosted band practice at our house, we've had bands over to record music, and we have a room full of instruments in the basement. And we also have a piano in our living room that no one knows how to play. Perhaps Online Music Production Courses could help us?

The piano is our own personal albatross. My mom bought it years ago and never learned to play. So when we moved into this house, almost four years ago, she gave it to us. She thought it would be a great addition to our musical household. We agreed, and have dedicated a wall to it ever since. And still, no one has taken a single lesson. It is home to our hermit crabs and various school projects. Its stool provides extra seating when we have company. Children like to pound on the keys and pretend they are really playing. Our piano is a very large, heavy, and cumbersome toy. We are limited as to how we can arrange the furniture in our living room because of it, and recently Chris and I have been fantasizing about what it would be like to have that extra space available to us.

However, I still love the idea of having a piano. I love the idea of our kids learning to play, and maybe even taking lessons myself. I haven't picked up an instrument since 6th grade orchestra. The logistics of piano lessons just seem so overwhelming. We already have so much going on! It also seems like it would be quite costly to arrange for piano lessons for four kids. I have heard of online music lessons, and I think that could be a nice solution for us. There is a family I've been reading about in the blog world for years, who travels the globe with their daughter and does homeschooling. Their daughter has virtual violin lessons, which she can partake in wherever they are. I imagine that it would be much simpler to work in lessons at our convenience, without having to leave home or be bound to an instructor's schedule and availability. Maybe it's not time to give up on our piano yet!

Do you or your children play a musical instrument? Have you ever tried online music courses?

This is a sponsored post. However, all opinions are my own.

Losing The Invisibility Cloak

I feel so happy sitting here in my family room with the windows open, the breeze fluttering the curtains and fooling me into thinking it's summer.

(Nice try Mother Nature, but anyone can access weather.com)

Nonetheless, an 80 degree day was not a bad way to end Spring Break. 

We had a fun, low-key weekend. Saturday afternoon Chris was working on some music and Bethany was hanging out with him and they ended up recording something with her singing back-up vocals. She was so excited and Chris is just as proud as can be (as am I!). Chris put up a snippet on YouTube if you'd like to check it out.

My girls are so exuberant...lively...demanding...vocal...outspoken. And I love all those things about them. In contrast, Connor is...more like me. An introvert...quiet...unassuming...the complete opposite of demanding. Sometimes I worry about him. I remember feeling invisible as a child, and I didn't have three drama queens for sisters, constantly overshadowing me. Because I was quiet, everyone just assumed that I was fine, I didn't need anything, and I didn't have anything to say. The truth is that sometimes it's still like that. I'm generally fine listening and observing, and entering a conversation when I have something to contribute, but sometimes that feeling of invisibility still surfaces. And I don't ever want my son to feel like he's not heard or not noticed. I don't want him to feel that his sisters are loved and cared for more than he is just because they are louder and insist on so much attention. And because maybe he, like me, has a harder time vocalizing what's on his mind. I don't want him to miss out on chances to sing with his dad because he's too self-conscious to admit he wants to do it too. Although I actually have no idea if that is something Connor is interested in. My job is to consistently engage him in conversation, ask him questions, get him to tell us what is on his mind, what's bothering him, what he likes and doesn't like. It's sometimes a challenging job, and I can understand why lots of people wouldn't put that sort of effort in with me. But as Connor's mom, it is a job I cherish, and I am so glad I have that understanding of him that only someone so like him could have. I just hope he finds his own way to occasionally outshine his sisters.

 

February Is Fun

I am having a Fun February. And there are lots of great things to look forward to in the coming months. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Friday afternoon Lucy, Mathilda, and I met Lucy's friend John from preschool at The Bounce House. Bethany was there a couple weeks ago for a birthday party, and Connor was going the day after us for a birthday party. So yay for Lucy & Mathilda, they got a turn too.

Mathilda refused to actually bounce on anything, but she had fun running around like a lunatic and "playing" video games.

Lucy says she and John are getting married someday. I don't think John has anything to say about it. He's a boy who likes princesses, why waste time looking any further?

Mathilda has been talking a lot. She started saying "I scared" last week when Connor was chasing her around the house with his snake Webkinz. Now she says it all the time, sometimes paired with "I cry" while adorably covering her eyes with her hands. Lucy has been teaching Mathilda how to play her Leapster.

Mathilda shares Bethany's love for snazzy accessories.

Lucy has also figured out how to get Mathilda to do her breathing treatments without fussing.

Mattie is sitting in a doll stroller, which Lucy has thoughtfully equipped with many comforts, such as a pillow, a blanket, a lovey (Zoe), a cup of water, snacks, and lots more.

I have wheezy kids. Well except Connor, I don't think he's ever wheezed. I myself was a wheezy kid, but I always blamed it on living with smokers and being constantly subjected to the toxic fumes of second hand smoke. (Have I mentioned how thrilled I am that Michigan is now Smoke Free? Love it! Sorry smokers. Well, not really.) My kids are never around smoke and yet they're still wheezy. But not as bad as I was. My poor mother spent many late nights in emergency rooms with me. That has only happened once with Bethany. Imagine how sickly my babies would be if I forced them to sit in a metal box and inhale poison on a daily basis (in other words, sit in the back seat of a car while the adults in the front seat are smoking and forcing me to suck in all of their nasty smoke)? Hurray for progress. And for the record, my mom didn't smoke, just pretty much every other adult in my life.



Here are a couple sneak peak promo shots of Bethany's new band. Unfortunately, only one other band member was here for the photo shoot.

Do me a favor and pretend you don't see the mess of my basement storage room. Thanks.

Fellow band-mate and non musician, Marissa.

Speaking of musicians, Chris's band The Smiths United played on Friday night at The Old Miami downtown Detroit. I went and some of my friends went and it was really fun. Except that the sound was taking forever and the opening band started way later than they were supposed to and played way longer than they were supposed to and I'm old so I get tired early. Our friend Jerry was there taking pictures with his new super-awesome-and-I'm-so-jealous camera and mentioned to me that I should start a blog about being married to a musician. Ha, yeah I should have done that like 12 years ago. How many nights of my life have I spent sitting in hole in the wall bars in Hamtramck? Wait, that's a trick question, don't strain your brain trying to answer. But for all those nights in dumpy Hamtramck pits, there have been some really awesome high points, like seeing Chris sing on the big stage at Pine Knob (DTE? what's that?), and shows so packed that getting to the ladies room required strategic maneuvering. I don't know about a blog, but good idea Jerry.