by As I type, my dh is enriching our daughters’ lives with the music of Marty Robbins. Never heard of him? Think authentic cowboy music. Sons of the Pioneers. Red River Valley ring any bells? Cool Water? Well, anyway, these songs make you think of Roy Rogers and fringed shirtsleeves. Corny as it sounds, it’s actually happifying, in a lilting, crooning kind of way…
So we’re making a lot of music here at our house lately. Well, at least a lot of noise anyway. Our seven year old’s 4 year dream of owning an “honest to goodness” trumpet
has finally come true. Yes, when she was two we bought her a yellow and blue plastic Fisher-Price trumpet that played a few tunes, and when she was three, we bought her a red plastic trumpet at the State Fair. She’s kind of always had an attraction there, and her uncle happens to play–so once she heard it in real life…at about age three, yes, she decided she wanted a trumpet.
At this same time, her big sister was almost seven years old and had been saving her pennies for her very own Border Collie so the idea of “saving up for something” became doable.
Overnight she turned into a little Dave-Ramsey-money-guru.
I’d give both girls fifty cents to spend at the thrift store and oldest would drop hers just for the sake of spending, while lil trumpet lover just clenched hers tight in her hand till she could get home and insert it into her piggy bank, big band music notes in her eyes…
This year she asked for money for her birthday. That brought her up to almost half of what a new trumpet costs ($700). I got some quotes online, and ended up getting our local music store to knock off $300 from their typical “new” trumpet price to match the online price of the same brand. Wow! So now our girl finally has her trumpet. She blew it so hard and so much the first day, she ended up bursting blood vessels in her cheeks… I’m just personally glad she didn’t end up with permanently crossed eyes. Um-hm.
I have to admit to several doubts along this musical path. Trumpet, Lord? Why this fixation on trumpets? Till one day it came to me. Seven year old has always been my loud child. The one needing to tone it down…several thousand decibels. High-pitched giggles, ear-splitting whistles, room-echoing enthusiasm for this life and nothing less. What better instrument to boost this natural gusto than the trumpet? (Feel free to check with me in a couple months and see if I still sub to this theory)
Borrowing from Leticia here:
Moving On…
While on this music spree I had the music store restring my guitar. The guitar I bought years ago when pg with my oldest and moving to a new home. The guitar I never really did anything with.
So I was excited to find this site with the lyrics and guitar chords to many praise songs, including my toddler’s newest fave “Making Melodies in My Heart”… try singing that with your tongue hanging out (to understand you need to observe a gang of children engaged in the actions for this one…).
Now to brush up on my basic guitar chords…and find my daughter a trumpet teacher.
Tell me about the instruments in your life.
I love that your daughter always wanted to play trumpet! When I was in 6th grade I wanted to learn to play the french horn because both older brother did. I tinker around with it for a few years before shifting my interest to the bagpipes! Brother still plays french horn and was been talked into playing for my wedding – I am very excited!
You all could start a little band before you know it!
Cowboy music! I love cowboy music. On the radio when I was a girl, the radio played mostly that kind of music. Of course, what would you expect in Wyoming? Some people consider country music to be cowboy music or vise versa. Not for me the crying over wrong decisions, the search for a new love when the old one fails…As a girl, piano was my instrument. My Mom played by ear and she hummed and sang as she worked or when we were in the car. She also played ukulele which I didn’t even try to master. I even bought a cheap ukulele when I visited Hawaii so I’d have it as a memory item. She told me that when she was a teen, she and her friends would gather on someone’s front porch on Friday nights for a sing-along. Catch today’s teens doing that!
The trumpet! Gotta love it! My oldest daughter is a singer, and quite a good one at that. We started her in lessons the minute she turned 13 and it was the best thing we could have done for her. The little ones have a little percussion set and seem to really dig the maracas (how sp?) and the triangle 🙂
The trumpet is SO much fun!
I like Slim Whitman – he’s like the Canadian Marty Robbins, sort of. Very cheerful and cowboyish.
I’m so impressed that she was able to save up enough money. It will mean so much more to her now that she has had to save and work for it on her own. Since she has had to work so hard for it. It won’t be a short time fascination. She will play the rest of her life, because she had to work for it on her own.
Colleen–French horn at your wedding! That’ll be beautiful…do you already know what songs you’ll be playing, and what you’ll march in and out to? Fun to hear about your instrument of choice! Bagpipes! Wow!
Mom, I always love hearing about your childhood. I remember when you’d get in the mood to play the Ben Hur chariot race…wow, you couldn’t play that often enough for me!
Georgiana, my oldest wants voice lessons really bad. She loves to sing, always has. So glad you were able to find your oldest a niche of her own, and from the sounds of it, an obvious choice!
Ah, Beck, you don’t mind the old cowboy stuff, cool! I’ll have to mention Slim Whitman to my dh, it sounds familiar… 🙂
I’m so hoping for that Andrea! I also hope she continues to save money now that she’s marked this off her wish list! I can’t believe we got out of services Sunday w/o seeing each other! My girls said they got to see you and your mom, but I totally missed out! We even hung around a while but I didn’t see you guys leave. Wasn’t it a GREAT service!?! Your little one looked sooo adorable in her fancy dress.
Most girls usually choose the clarinet, flute, or even the French Horn, but the trumpet? I think that is wonderful! I would have loved to learn how to play the drums, that would have been sublime.
I am curious to see how you will feel about this music in a few months….hee.
Me too, Leticia, lol! My oldest wants to learn the drums, but I’m steering her towards piano or guitar–since we already own those!! Plus, can you imagine…trumpet AND drums? I’m covering my ears as I type…okay that’s impossible…but you know what I mean…
Not yet, Mary. I’ve left the ceremony music up to my brother as he’s the expert. I suggested Canon in D, but he said it gets over played so we shall see!
That’s so funny. As an 18 yo on my wedding day, I had no idea there were other options for the “wedding march”…I’m so glad your brother is there to provide plenty of alternatives!
I know I couldn’t believe I didn’t get to talk to you either. We were all brought things to have lunch at the church, so I was in the kitchen for a while.
My great-aunt made the dress for me. I was so excited to have it and glad to have a second excuse to use it.
I think it would be great for oldest to have voice lessons. They really help to boost your confidence. Please let me know if any of your girls have specials at church. We will try our best to make it. When is the Christmas program?
We’ve been reading about Jericho lately around here. Maybe you could send 7yo outside to march around some old building that needs to come down. At least until you find a trumpet teacher. 🙂
I think God created second children louder on purpose otherwise you would be to busy to remember them our second is definitely louder. That was the first thing we said when she was born how much louder she is.
Andrea, so you were hiding in the kitchen! I thought maybe you were feeding the baby… I read your comment to dh, it means so much to us to know you guys would make the extra long trip just to hear our girls…thank you! The program is on December 15, a Saturday night this year. It’s coming along pretty good. Can you believe, somehow, the adult SS gave up the sanctuary for practices? They’re filling up the fellowship hall to the gills! Of course, we’re having our practices during SS.
That’s funny about your second being loud. I know just what you’re going through! You have a lot to look forward to. Hee hee.
Jessica, lol. That’s a GREAT suggestion. We have a building that would qualify…what would the neighbors think! 😉