On the Thirteenth Day: Thirteen Honking Jingles
Continuing the theme of early (as in kids) Christmas music…
Tim expressed his musicality when he was two years old and about 30 inches tall; standing beneath our upright piano, he reached his pointer finger up to keys he couldn't even see and played his version of Jingle Bells on one note. Sure, the tune was monotone, but the rhythm was perfect. We considered him a genius.
Fast forward two years or so when Tim tagged along with me to Kelle's 4th grade Christmas party. Parents had been invited to enjoy refreshments and a Christmas program where the students performed their talent or read a Christmas poem. The last event featured a boy who played his saxophone, unaccompanied. After a few seconds I realized he was playing Jingle Bells. Kelle and Kara were taking piano lessons by this time, but no one in our family had yet played a wind or brass instrument. Inexperienced as I was concerning how instruments sound when students are beginning to play them, imagine my surprise that a saxophone could sound so much like a goose. When the honking was over, I, along with other parents, applauded politely. Tim, always honest, turned to me and said in one of his mega-stage whispers, "Man! That kid was good!!!"
It's really true; perspective is everything.
Tim expressed his musicality when he was two years old and about 30 inches tall; standing beneath our upright piano, he reached his pointer finger up to keys he couldn't even see and played his version of Jingle Bells on one note. Sure, the tune was monotone, but the rhythm was perfect. We considered him a genius.
Fast forward two years or so when Tim tagged along with me to Kelle's 4th grade Christmas party. Parents had been invited to enjoy refreshments and a Christmas program where the students performed their talent or read a Christmas poem. The last event featured a boy who played his saxophone, unaccompanied. After a few seconds I realized he was playing Jingle Bells. Kelle and Kara were taking piano lessons by this time, but no one in our family had yet played a wind or brass instrument. Inexperienced as I was concerning how instruments sound when students are beginning to play them, imagine my surprise that a saxophone could sound so much like a goose. When the honking was over, I, along with other parents, applauded politely. Tim, always honest, turned to me and said in one of his mega-stage whispers, "Man! That kid was good!!!"
It's really true; perspective is everything.
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