Family Band

In honor of my boys’ birthdays, (which happen to be a mere four days apart) we made the pilgrimage home to our roots. Our roots happen to lay in New England, in the suburbs of Boston and crossing the Massachusetts and New Hampshire border. Our roots also bring out the best of The Family Band.

We are not musicians by trade. I would not bring my instrument with me to a public jam session or play in front of a group. But we do love music and prefer to stay in the private tutelage of the amazing array of youtube lessons. We play together, Stone, the boys and me.

Back home the family band grows bigger to include my two brothers who both pick a little, drum a little, and tinker on the piano a little. We all walk that musical line and together we are The Family Band.

There is no objective except to learn and laugh together. We make up silly songs, sing classics or even manage a pop tune unplugged. In between playing we laugh at old memories or share a new story. It’s a good time and I love watching my children grow up amidst instruments and organic music.

I took a Music Together class with Solshine when he was just a baby. I remember reading the intro manual for parents and what struck me was their philosophy that everyone is a musician. They talked about how our culture tends to reserve that title for rock stars and the rest of us can feel like we are not musicians because we aren’t destined for the rock ‘n roll hall of fame.

The parents manual gave examples of other cultures where communities sing together. There is no rock star, but a communal musical experience through which they celebrate, mourn and learn together. Babies learn rhythm on their mother’s hips as they shake, stomp and clap. As they grow older they try more intricate clapping rhythms and they sing along. It doesn’t matter if your voice can’t make it on American Idol, because the group voice holds it own. I love the feeling of singing in a group–it feels empowering and healing to me.

Reading that manual was a bit of a reawakening for me. I let go of the fact that I never went anywhere with my two years of piano lessons as a kid and instead found thanks that I knew my scales and chords from that experience. I promised myself that I would play music and sing even if I didn’t consider myself “talented”. I wanted my kids to grow up with music being accessible, easy and normal.

I’ve stayed true to my promise and after coming home and celebrating a family reunion with The Family Band I am so thankful that I’m here–making simple, organic music.

Music is healing and powerful; even more so when there is no rock star involved.

(I loved, loved, loved how Solshine is sleeping in the last two pictures. At first he was jumping around and playing along and after a little while he came and sat next to me, laid down and fell asleep. All the while we played.)

Related posts:

1. Family Strategy As part of the birth activism I am involved with...
2. Goodbyes + Good Deeds In the midst of all the craziness excitement that is...
3. Life Learning :: Tres Bien So often it’s easy to focus on how our parents...
4. Vegetables and Family Togetherness I’m having a baby any day! While I’m busy nesting...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.