Thursday, November 18, 2010

Musical Munchkins

As much as we love music, Joe especially, it would be ridiculous to think that our kids would be immune.  From the time they were old enough, he has constantly introduced them both to the world of music.  Out of the blue he would show up with drums, bongos, maracas and even a pint sized guitar for Seager one Christmas.  Every evening after work, he turns on the tunes and he and the boys bond…singing, dancing and just listening to music.  So, now that they are finally old enough to begin a real musical journey, they have taken to it like moths to flame.

Since private lessons are quite pricey, I was able to find a wonderful homeschool group called the Joyful Noise Band.  We attend once per week and they offer everything from a pre-school Noisemakers class and beginner lessons in reading music and playing recorder all the way up to jazz band, marching band and orchestra opportunities. 

Dagon is a little Noisemaker and Seager is learning to read music and play the recorder.  I am happy to report that Seager is doing exceptional in both of his endeavors.  He is also in the kids chorus – more about that later. 

Since they started in September, they have both progressed faster than anticipated.  To showcase their accomplishments, the Fall Recital Program was the big event.  First up was Dagon. 

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He and his entire class

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took the atrium stage and showcased what they have been learning.  Lots of percussion and showmanship

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They then pulled out the heavy equipment, the bells,

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and performed their version of Jingle Bells in anticipation of the upcoming Holidays. 

The stage was then transformed into a concert setup and it was time for Seager’s musical debut.  But not before I forced him outside for a little photo shoot.  And who could blame me…he was wearing concert attire!

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This was an interesting pose… a little awkward…

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After enduring me and my toy, he was ready to get down to business. 

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He and his classmates did  a fabulous show! 

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Fans from near

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far (you didn’t think Mamaw would miss this did you?) and even a Cow showed up to enjoy the performances! 

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The next night was the big one!  The children’s chorus production of Stone Soup.  It was a musical and Seager sang several songs with the group and even had some lines in the story. 

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They gave us a most enjoyable performance and took their bows. 

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Seager stated that he enjoys playing his music, but he is not so sure about his acting debut.  He has the rest of the year and another stage performance to decide if he will be going the Broadway route.  We’ll see after his Spring stage production.

So it’s been a smooth start to our musical endeavors.  The Joyful Noise people are great to work with and they really love the kids.  This story will continue next Spring when we finish the year with more concerts and productions.

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