October 10, 2005 at 7:16 PM

So, yesterday my community orchestra had its first concert of the season. I might write more about that later, but this blog entry is dedicated to the growing musicality of my two-year-old daughter, Kiera.

This was her first concert, and I thought it would be a good one to start with since 1) it was short (less than an hour), 2) all the program pieces were short, 3) Mommy was playing, to add a level of interest, 4) tickets were cheap so it wouldn't be a big loss if my husband had to leave the hall with her. :)

We needn't have worried; she was so good the entire time, even though there were technical difficulties with the sound system that caused the concert to be delayed by about ten minutes. She did talk a bit, apparently, but it was all about the music. ("What was THAT?" after the cymbal crash in the Poet and Peasant Overture!) I guess she was also getting bored by the end of the concert, because when my husband told her that there was one piece left (the three-movement Karelia Suite) she kept saying, "We're done!" after the tuning, and then after each movement. :)

She also wanted to know what "the big violins" were, and I guess my husband gave her a nice little lesson because this morning while I was practicing, she said, "Mommy has a little violin so she plays high notes! The big violins play low notes!" I let her hold my bow and pluck the strings, and she now knows that the E string is the high one and the G string is the low one. At this rate, I'll have to start searching for Suzuki programs in my area soon!

Though she's only two, Kiera's a big Joshua Bell fan because her mother is, and I've promised her I'll take her to one of his recitals in the spring if she can be this good at every concert. So far, it's looking pretty good.

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on October 10, 2005 at 7:25 PM

When I was that age the story goes my Grandmother took me to church and I got more and more restless until I stood up in my seat and yelled words to the effect of enough is enough and insisted everybody go home.

From Carley Anderson
Posted on October 11, 2005 at 11:58 AM

Ha, ha, ha, ha...Jim! Shame! :)

From Emily Grossman
Posted on October 12, 2005 at 2:31 AM

Jim, my similar experience involved the word "Amen," because I knew that's what you say when you finish. People just thought I was extra spiritual.

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on October 12, 2005 at 6:16 AM

Your daughter sounds like a real joy.

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on October 12, 2005 at 8:41 AM

Em, I think my words were "I've had enough of this." Then, since she'd said we couldn't leave till everybody else did, I started telling people to go home.

I think I would train my kid to yell "amen" over and over and take him to church for kicks.

From Karin Lin
Posted on October 12, 2005 at 6:29 PM

Thanks, Pauline, she is. :)

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