The Musician

My pretty girls at one of their middle school
band and orchestra Christmas concerts.

My middle daughter learned to play the violin the summer before her sixth grade year. What started off as cringe-worthy squeaking soon turned into beautiful music. A few years ago she asked my boyfriend to teach her how to play guitar. He started playing guitar before he learned to read. He loves playing guitar and he was only too happy to teach her. He showed her a few chords and told her to practice ... and she did.

He's taught (or tried to teach) many people over the years, and he said my daughter had more raw talent than anyone he's ever worked with. That made me very proud, because he wouldn't have said it if he didn't believe it ... and I know this for a fact! Take, for instance, the time I said, "This dress makes me look pregnant, doesn't it?" Without hesitating, he looked at me and said, "Yeah, it kind of does!" We both had a good laugh ... I did kind of look pregnant! When I've related that story to others, their mouths fall open and they look at me like, "So ... how'd you kill him? Gunshot or poison?"

I'm glad he tells me the truth. If I ask him if I look okay and he says yes, I know he thinks I look okay. If he didn't, he'd tell me. I love that he always tells me the truth, and I ask his opinion because I know he will tell me what he thinks ... not just what he thinks I want to hear! So anyway, when he told me my daughter had more raw talent than anyone he's worked with before, I believed him  ... because I knew he meant it.

Before long, she was teaching herself song after song after song. She'd watch YouTube video's of guitar players and watch their fingers ... and she got pretty good! She can now pick up her guitar and play almost anything after a few minutes of trial and error. And, she's paying it forward by teaching others interested in learning to play.

Music has always been a big part of our lives. The kids and I would sing all the time ... at home, in the car, on walks, etc. I always loved spying on the kids when they didn't know I was watching ... and I couldn't help but smile at the silly songs they would make up. I'm not a big fan of musicals, because who breaks out in random song and dance throughout the day? My kids, that's who!! My middle daughter would even sing herself to sleep at night! They still break out in song for no particular reason! Don't believe me? Okay, just say "leg lamp" when my daughters are together and watch what happens! I am NOT joking! Really ... just get my daughters together and say "leg lamp"! The other night my boyfriend came over for dinner, and somehow this came up. He, of course, had no idea what I was talking about, so I yelled out to the girls (they were in another room) ... I said "Hey, girls ... leg lamp" ... and then I sat back for what I knew was coming. And, right on cue, it happened! I don't want to spoil the surprise, so I won't go into details, but we all had a good laugh! (Maybe for a future blog post will I will record this phenomena and show you!)

My middle daughter began recording herself singing and playing guitar and began posting them on YouTube. Below is my favorite song from her YouTube Channel. You can watch her other videos by clicking here. (Ignore the blonde hair in some of the videos ... she has her amazingly beautiful chestnut brown hair back now!)