A little music...

Benjamin has discovered Johnny Cash. Johnny joins such favorites as Ray Charles, Adele, Mumford and Sons, Pearl Jam, The Black Keys, and anything that comes out of Jack White's studio. It's so funny to watch his musical sensibility develop.

BenTV 021: His First Recital

I am trying to catch up on important events around here. In May, Benjamin performed in his first recital with the Young Artists Symphony of San Diego. YAS is one of the only organizations that will take a student as young as Benjamin. He has been learning in group lessons taught with the Suzuki method. All the children learn the songs, but the more advanced students are learning finger placement and the youngest ones are merely playing on one string, learning the bow hold and the rhythm in the variations. Lessons are always accompanied by the piano (as you will hear in the music on the slideshow). During the concert the little guys were actually accompanied by the much older kids as well as the piano.

Enjoy!

Mess Around

Right now, Benjamin is riding around the house on his plasma car and singing, "Everybody's doin' the mess around," a Ray Charles song. Too funny.

His First Violin

Benjamin has now been to three group violin lessons. He loves it! In these photos we were visiting the violin shop where he got fitted for his violin.

His fitting - he ended up with the second smallest possible size.

Super excited! This was yet too big. They had to order one in his size.

Inside the violin shop - cellos, violas, and violins.

This is Grandma's violin. Actually, it is Grandma's granddad's violin. This was what first got Benjamin interested.

Music Appreciation

Today we discovered Sol Gabetta and her cello. Such beautiful music!



And then Lana Trotovsek...

Today's Music Exposure...

is the saxophone. Jazz, in fact. Benjamin is a little surprised and taken aback by it. Take it away, Maceo!



And in looking for sax videos and watching some old Coltrane, we ran across this lovely video. Ain't jazz grand? (And now Benjamin is interested in the trumpet...)



Finally, our rabbit trail led to this video - The Muppet Show, promoting musical greats. Ni-i-i-i-i-ice.

Long Live Rock and Roll, Part 2

...And today he asked me while driving in the car: "Mama, can you put on some rock and roll music, please?"

Long Live Rock and Roll

So Benjamin is displaying a penchant for rock. His favorite bands (in addition to Celtic influenced medieval strings) are The Racontuers, Kings of Leon, and Modest Mouse.

He is dancing around the room presently, shouting happily, "I like Rock and Roll!!"

Special Request

So...this morning Benjamin came to me and asked for "violin music." As I don't have any straight up violin music, I put on Loreena McKennitt. He seemed satisfied.

The Cast and The Harmonica

They really have nothing to do with each other except that during this period of cast wearing, a harmonica was discovered in Mama's great box o' stuff. Actually, Mama has far too many great boxes o' stuff to mention, but we won't dwell on that unfortunate truth.

Instead, we will enjoy Little P's new adoration for the harmonica. It is certainly something to behold.

Get that boy a violin!

So said Benjamin's music teacher. On Tuesday, at 'sic lessons with Grandma, Benjamin met a cello for the very first time. He got to watch Miss Tiffany play it, and then he was allowed to hold the bow and draw it across the strings. Zowie! A whole new world. Word on the street is that his eyes gleamed extra brightly and he did not want to give that bow back, prompting Miss Tiffany to declare that he needs his very own violin.

We're going to follow up on this. Mama is a little perplexed...just what can a toddler learn about finger placement and all that? He only recently managed to stick triangular blocks in triangular holes.

We'll let you know what we find out here at The Pod. In the meantime, you of musical experience/ability, what say you? How early is a reasonable time to buy instruments and start learning how to play them? (I'm not talking about drums and xylophones...I'm talking strings and pianos and wind instruments.)

Upon Discovering the Yano

Here's our boy on Mother's Day at Grandma's house. He decided to play the baby grand and did an adequate job of not banging on the keys.

But why was it that he understood, this of all times, that if you lift up the cover you will reveal keys on which to play?

It has to do with Mama's birthday present which arrived the day before Mother's Day, on Saturday, May 9th, Mama's 35th birthday.

Mama now has a lovely piano, on loan indefinitely from long-time family friends. Grandma had it delivered and tuned.

Mama is getting back in touch with her musical self while Little P discovers his own musical self. He's all about making 'sic on the yano. In fact, he watched Grandma and Mama play a bit and then sat on the bench and put his hands up on the keys gently, fingers spread wide, looking quite like he knew what he was doing! Then he pressed different black keys softly with his pointer finger. He really likes those black keys.

'Sic is so much fun that Grandma has started taking him to 'sic lessons for toddlers, taught by a friend of hers. The children and their respective adults gather and sing, play instruments, and dance. I think it's even bilingual - English and Spanish.

Mama loves that he enjoys music so much. There's something to be said for early exposure!