Sep 11 2008
Let the Music Roll
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When my sisters and I were small, my parents gave us every opportunity to try things. We played sports, took swimming lessons and attended the parks and recreation craft days. We were also afforded music lessons. I don’t know how my parents could afford music lessons for three girls but they did. I paid $18 dollars a half hour for my two kids to take piano lessons so I know how the cost can drain a budget.
My sister, Lynne, was too small to take lessons but my sister, Grace, learned to play the accordion and I played the guitar. We carted our instruments back and forth to class each week as we took lessons from very qualified professional musicians. We were very lucky to have the instruction from such fine artists.
Grace and I played our instruments at church a few times. I can remember the apprehension of getting up in front of the congregation but once we began to play I had fun. We carted our instruments all over the place and with that came the effort of keeping track of large folders of sheet music. Mom often rewarded us by letting us choose a new book or sheet music from the display at the music store. My favorite book contained the song, Little Boxes and I Left My Heart in San Francisco. I must have burned mom and dad’s ears playing and singing my heart out each night back in my bedroom. I think I remember them telling me to, “close that door!”
Grace and I become proficient at using color labels to identify our music folders and our instrument cases. We never wanted to lose any of our precious music sheets nor mix our instrument cases with someone else’s case. My case held my favorite guitar picks and I might have cried if someone picked up my case by mistake. Thank goodness for Dymo Label Makers! We were marking fools! We used the Dymo Label Maker to mark our music, sports equipment and anything else we might argue over. Yep, we were the kids who argued over who’s ball glove belonged to whom. It got real ugly when we fought over clothes. Too bad Dymo didn’t make cloth labels to sew into our clothes! LOL
