Music, Music, Music

I started my "weekly wrap up" of our schoolweek last Friday afternoon, but didn't get it finished before going to a young ladies' Bible study retreat for the weekend with Briana, so here it is a little late.

It's been a musical kind of week.  We are studying the "Age of Revolutions" in history this year and Briana read Victor Hugo's Les Miserable a while back and Destry has read part of it so far this year.  Alan and I love the musical, so needed no further motivation to take our two oldest children to the production of one of our favorite musicals when it came to Des Moines last week.  The performance was simply amazing (an overused adjective, I agree, but what other word fits here?!).  This was the 25th anniversary and the updated set, effects, and scenes only improved the original version we saw nearly 20 years ago.

I occasionally managed to pull my eyes from the stage to watch my teenagers take in the performance.  They were overwhelmed.  Their eyes were glued to the stage and they were motionless, transfixed by the talent.  "I thought it would be good," Briana said afterward, still shell shocked.  "But I had no idea it could be THAT good!"

Their fun was only enhanced by the attendance of their good friend and first piano teacher from Missouri.  She ignited their love for music when she started teaching them a few years ago and she was just as enraptured by the performance as they were.

We were also blessed by an invitation to attend a performance by "world class violinist" Pamela Frank, with several other musicians, of chamber music at Drake University.  We very much enjoyed their talent and the musicians made it more interesting by revealing how much fun they were having with one another as they spoke to one another with their instruments.

Destry also started his music theory class this week.  He has been messing around with writing some music and his current piano teacher, who retired from teaching at Simpson College, asked if he would be interested in taking a theory class she is offering.  She warned that it would be challenging, as she is using a college text, but I think he will be able to work hard and learn the material as he is interested in composing.  He enjoyed the first class this week as they started with scales and interludes and. . .something else I know nothing about!

Music is another subject in which my children's knowledge is quickly outdistancing my own, but we still have fun sharing music together.