Oh Gal (Lo-fi version)
In the last few weeks before our daughter arrived, once we had completed the preparations on the house I started getting antsy. My thoughts drifted towards filling the house with music.
"What instruments do children play?"
"What did I like to play with when I was a kid?"
I went on an Amazon spending spree to snatch up every noise-maker I remembered ever playing while I was growing up. I got wood blocks and kazoos, triangle-chimes and that ribbed wood thing you rub a stick across to make a frog-like sound. I filled a basket full of these things plus all the shaker eggs, tambourines and cow-bells I had in the studio. "This is our child's gateway to music", I pronounces to my wife. She gently explained that our child would not be able to use them for a long time but I held steadfast. "Investments", I called them. “Investments in the future”.
Fast-forward six months...
Once I became a, mostly, stay-at-home dad, I tried to figure out ways to spend as much of my limited time down in the studio tinkering. Luckily, Hazel, our lovely daughter really enjoys watching and hearing me play music for her (especially the banjo). Now when she is fussy one of the best methods I have to calm her down is to take her down to the studio and sit her in front of the basket full of noise-making nick-knacks. She does not quite have the coordination down yet to get A and B together but she loves to wave the mallet around and every once and again she hits something that makes a noise like the ones I show her and then she does her darndest to repeat the results.
The other day I was sitting at the piano with Hazel in my lap, as we have done on many occasions before. While I was trying to flush out an idea I had she slapped at the keys like she usually does but actually started to get them down hard enough to move the hammers to the strings and made a sound. I stopped what I was doing and listened to her play for a bit and then I began playing something way down on the low keys while she continued on the middle ones. We were making music together. It was random and spare but it is a moment I will remember.
We have laid out a pretty diverse and lush palette for her to draw from when and if she chooses. For that I am proud. I am looking forward to seeing what sorts of things she comes up with on her canvas.
In the last few weeks before our daughter arrived, once we had completed the preparations on the house I started getting antsy. My thoughts drifted towards filling the house with music.
"What instruments do children play?"
"What did I like to play with when I was a kid?"
I went on an Amazon spending spree to snatch up every noise-maker I remembered ever playing while I was growing up. I got wood blocks and kazoos, triangle-chimes and that ribbed wood thing you rub a stick across to make a frog-like sound. I filled a basket full of these things plus all the shaker eggs, tambourines and cow-bells I had in the studio. "This is our child's gateway to music", I pronounces to my wife. She gently explained that our child would not be able to use them for a long time but I held steadfast. "Investments", I called them. “Investments in the future”.
Fast-forward six months...
Once I became a, mostly, stay-at-home dad, I tried to figure out ways to spend as much of my limited time down in the studio tinkering. Luckily, Hazel, our lovely daughter really enjoys watching and hearing me play music for her (especially the banjo). Now when she is fussy one of the best methods I have to calm her down is to take her down to the studio and sit her in front of the basket full of noise-making nick-knacks. She does not quite have the coordination down yet to get A and B together but she loves to wave the mallet around and every once and again she hits something that makes a noise like the ones I show her and then she does her darndest to repeat the results.
The other day I was sitting at the piano with Hazel in my lap, as we have done on many occasions before. While I was trying to flush out an idea I had she slapped at the keys like she usually does but actually started to get them down hard enough to move the hammers to the strings and made a sound. I stopped what I was doing and listened to her play for a bit and then I began playing something way down on the low keys while she continued on the middle ones. We were making music together. It was random and spare but it is a moment I will remember.
We have laid out a pretty diverse and lush palette for her to draw from when and if she chooses. For that I am proud. I am looking forward to seeing what sorts of things she comes up with on her canvas.
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