Music Man

Jaydo-boy has had a bit of a love of music pretty much his entire life.  Before he could even talk, he would hum himself to sleep at night, then it progressed into singing himself to sleep at night, and it has now become him singing throughout his whole day.  Singing about something his toys are doing, or something he is doing, or something he wants me to do for him.  I put a radio in his room a couple of years ago and he goes in there to listen and sing "Jesus music".  So when he had lots of different instruments on his Christmas list this year, I wasn't too surprised.  Among other things, he asked for a guitar, not just any guitar, an electric guitar.  "You know mom, the kind that has an on and off switch, and has a speaker, and is LOUD"  So, that's what we got him.  Thankfully, it's not that loud.  :)

 

Jayden turns on Pandora and picks a station for him to strum and sing along with.  So far, it's still been Christmas music.  He told me that he wants Christmas music because "everyday can be Jesus' birthday, right?"

 

Have I mentioned how much I hate public school?  If not, well, I do.  Jayden, my constant singer, came home from school this week and told me his music teacher told him he can't sing.  I have to admit, my initial reaction was the turn the car around and let that teacher have a piece of my mind, but instead I chose to build Jayden up and tell him how much I love his singing, and if he loves to sing to keep doing it, and even if someone tells him he can't do something, that doesn't mean he has to stop trying, and if he wants to get better at something he has to practice and that we can always find a way for him to get better if that's what he wants.  Now, Jayden may not have the best voice, he may be a bit tone deaf on most of the songs he sings, but is it really necessary to tell a 5 year old he can't sing?  In front of his entire class?  He's 5 for goodness sake.  Whats the point in killin' a dream so early?  And now Jayden will have "I can't sing" repeating over and over in his head, on the track that is his life.  Ugh, I hate school.  I was in 7th grade when my choir director asked me to stop singing and play the piano to accompany the choir instead.  And it most likely had nothing to do with me not being able to sing - I can carry a tune, but I don't have the most beautiful singing voice.  It most likely had everything to do with I was a pretty good piano player and that my piano skills far exceeded my singing skills, and it's pretty darn convenient to have someone in class who can plunk out the parts for you and have the choir practice with the actual accompaniment.  And while I was built up in my piano confidence, I have always been a bit self conscious of my singing since then.  I've never sang in another choir (until this past Christmas), and who knows, maybe it has something to do with the fact that I had "I can't sing well" running in my head over and over since I was 12.

Nothing stops us at home though.  We have music on all the time and sing and dance as much as we want, as off key and off beat as we want too.  :)