A BOY WHO GREW UP WITH MUSIC

{this was written September 23, 2007 - Sunday}

My oldest son made so much noise as a baby. That's an understatement, and not a cliche. There was constant brain-throbbing "WAHHHHH-WAHHH" and "BA-BAh-BAH-ba-bab-ba" coupled with eXtreme physical energy. With a December birthday, my son was 2 1/2 when he entered Pre-School at a church.

And with that he began church choir, "Cherubs". This was weekly singing training, rewarded mid-way with snacks, with occasional exposure to Orff instruments, summer camps, and monthly church appearances wearing choir vestments. It was wonderful to channel some noise into song.

After 4 years, he auditioned for the National Cathedral Boys Training Choir and passed. This included three rehearsals weekly, plus Sunday singing at the Bethlehem chapel. The Rite II liturgy is continually interspersed with hymns, psalms, anthems. This reinforced associating lyrics with melody, and likely helped accelerate reading English language, memorization, and music sight-reading. The Choirmaster/Organist was a young tall and handsome Brit, and the coolest man he'd ever known. And he became to trust in God.

After 2 years, and our beloved Brit departed, we too shifted gears slightly. He changed to the Childrens Choristers at the [new] church were he had been attending lower school. And changed schools to a private all-boys school with a great music program; and more cool male teachers. I started to allow listening to pop music; thus ending the total classical immersion. At church, the Choristers reinforced tradition the same as the cathedral, adding chants, masses, and motets. For the next six (6) years, he pretty much learned the entire Hymnal, plus a very healthy repertoire of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Byrd, etc., American Spiritual and even awesome living composers. ;) At school, he was part of a singing wave, resulting in singing with their all-boys group at Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and regional churches, etc. Summers he is singing in children's opera and even with super roles in adult opera. Parallel to this whole time, he is playing violin. He becomes one with sound. The noise never stops, and thank God it takes some form besides being an out-of-control boy with ADHD.

My most unforgettable moment was his treble solo at a DC evensong, "Pie Jesu", from Gabriel Faure's Requiem, backed by string quartet, where several ladies who didn't know him began to weep. (Me? I cry all the time.)

He is physically intelligent, meaning he knows to move. He can copy runners like Michael Johnson, and is a natural when picking up any sport. At middle school dances he loves shaking around, and has been known to run 'n slide across the floor ending up on his knees. He starts to imitate hip-hop dance. His voice changes. Partly in honor of his voice change, he switches to viola (which is an octave deeper voice than the violin).

He changes to public school for high school. Things start running on auto-pilot. "They say" everything you are gonna teach a child has to be taught when they are young. The foundation has already been built, or not. He goes deeper in special subjects - theory, solo viola, orchestra, etc. But he won't stop singing - and he's in the male a capella group at school. They dance and sing. Recently I figured out it was time to let him take private voice lessons. I had waited - I heard advice that boys should not take private voice lessons too young. We finally found a man - a tenor from the opera genre - who drives down from NY to give lessons weekly @ $85/hr.

I only went to the second lesson and not since (my son drives now). I was told my son would be learning all about sex. That for men to control their breathing and sound projection for singing there is some kind of throat-clearing grunting or muscle deep down that he needs to use. And that it is not unlike when you have sex??? Hmmm... Really... Did I hear correctly?? "Ah, ... OK, you're the teacher." These are lessons about which I don't have to nag! He eagerly goes and does his daily practices. And man, is he happy with himself! And I am happy with his gorgeous and maturing voice.

The other night, he tries to show me his latest exercise. Mind you, he's buff, got a six-pack, and refuses to wear shirts at home. Wearing shorts with boxers exposed, he says, "Watch me." He stands with feet straddle, hands on hips, moving his hips in a circular motion, and starts singing one of his a capella group songs ("Uptown Girl"). OKay... Son No. 3 hears from downstairs, and comes leaping up the stairs. Not a singer, but a joker, he starts singing along - and Krumping up against Son No. 1; he is also shirtless and in shorts. Krumping is this bump/grind, arm-flagging, chest-thrusting, butt-shaking hip-hop dance. We are dying laughing ROFL like crazy. I guess this makes up for last week when No. 3 was playing lovely Chopin on the piano for me, and No. 1 went up against him Krumping and Clowning. They switch to Soulja Boy. They won't stop dancing, singing, and laughing. I've got my head turned to the side with my hand to my face in peek-a-boo form. I can't look straight on, but only from the corner of my eye. With a tear, because he is grown-up now.

i promise the next blog (if there is one) will be very short!