Music Recitals...

After Pancakes With Santa Saturday morning, the boys had their annual piano recital. This summer, Roen started ukulele lessons, so he got to play both the piano and the ukulele.

This spring, will be two years that the boys have been in piano lessons. We started when the boys had tiny, chubby fingers and in only 1st and 2nd grade. Piano lessons is something I continue to be grateful for and refuse to be too busy for. The boys honestly love their lessons. Their teacher is so sweet, going at their own pace, making lessons truly a skill they are learning for fun. Both boys are now in ukulele lessons as well and Roen has 3 string instruments on his Santa List. Their love for musical instruments is expanding and I love watching them explore the art of music.

Roen would ultimately like to play the guitar and Remi dreams of playing the fiddle. Roen's little fingers and arms need to grow a bit before he takes on an instrument the size of a guitar and Remi really needs to start the fiddle during a summer because so much practice is required.

This year, Roen played Jolly Old St Nicholas for his piano piece and Mele Kalikimaka on his Ukulele. If you were to watch the boys play, you would notice that they are very different in the way they play. Roen knew his piece by heart, needing no music, playing with happy fingers, preforming a very laid back version of Jolly Old St Nick. You watch him and know he is truly having the best time stroking those keys- his performance makes you want to sing along! His little Ukulele performance was probably the star of the show. That little blue-eyed boy, sitting up on stage on a wooden stool, legs wrapped around the stool for balance, just strumming along... seriously, it was absolutely adorable! He refused to sing, so his sweet teacher stood beside him and sang while he read his chords and played.

Remi played Angels We Have Heard On High. Remi reads his music, rarely looking at the keys at all. He plays intensely and beautifully. Remi loves the piano in a different way. He loves the challenge and loves finishing a piece in perfection. His pieces almost always bring a tear to my eye. I think maybe watching him be able to read music in a way he cannot read words, stirs something in me that I can't quite explain.

Watching all these tiny people create beautiful music with their fingers makes me a bit emotional every single recital. It is captivating to watch this lost art being performed by the innocent fingers of children. My hope is that the boys will play years into the future, loving the way they can express themselves through their love of music.