Music fills my house every day. It's thanks mostly to my son, Joseph, 13 who is our resident Music Man. He started playing piano when he was 6 and mastered a lovely concerto courtesy of his brilliant teacher who was "old school" and demanded perfection. Then, he took up electric guitar at 10, taking lessons from a 55-yo hipster who thrills to introducing him to classic rock and bluegrass, picking, strumming, and riffing his way through the oldies. He also plays his guitar in the Jazz Band at school jamming to "Soul Man" and bluesy holiday songs for the upcoming concert in December. Joseph chose the drums in 6th grade for the middle school band, and plays the bass, timpani, and trap set in Concert band, as well as African drums in the World Drumming corp. He even beats a metal garbage can, plastic bucket or two and sweeps a push broom in the Trash Can corp alongside friends. Yesterday he told me that he had "picked up" the string bass from a friend at school and was thinking of switching to orchestra in high school. Oh, and he has a lovely voice which he uses in church choir every week to sing beautiful choral arrangements that make his mother cry. Aside from his personal repertoire, his taste in listening music runs toward rap and electronica which is usually blasting too loudly from the computer in the kitchen where he is arranging and rearranging loops or laying down beats to produce his own songs. Last but not least, he dances. Yep, he can do a mean "Spongebob" or "Dougie", which is cool if you're into hip hop! So, my well-rounded music man keeps my ears ringing, my heart humming and my groove on most days. I'm thankful for that. Joyful, mellow, musical soul, my Joseph and I love that he shares his gifts.
