Music + Son + Dad=Victory(2)

(Continued from January 2, 2010) ...... He furiously practiced over the time that was available. Not only did he get the notes and rhythms, but he also played with an understanding of the emotions that I had attempted to convey with the piece. At nights and on the weekends, we played together, still trying to master every element of the piece and preparing for the upcoming performance.

Finally, the big day arrived. He flawlessly played the piece with the maturity of a seasoned pro, he nailed the credenza, and he received a perfect rating! In an instant, the mutual admiration society between my son and his favorite dad had grown even larger!

My admiration grew for him because of his perseverance, attention to detail, focused approach to the music and the instrument, and, of course, his brilliant preparation and performance. His admiration grew for me because I was willing to re-write one of my compositions just for him and accompany him on the piano. While I am sure that he appreciated the actual music, I think that he mostly appreciated the hours and hours that I logged on his behalf!

Yes, teaching your kids and watching them grow, while spending tons of time with them even when some might think that 16-year-olds don’t need dads as much in their lives (more on that terrible myth in a future blog!), and seeing their terrific work get rewarded with a perfect rating, while continuing to have his admiration grow for his dad at the same time, is a feeling that is almost too powerful to describe. Trust me, though; it’s a feeling that a parent would not trade for anything!

As always, continue to guide your kids (irrespective of their advanced age!), help them to grow, and spend lots and lots of time with them. The rewards are better than a perfect rating at a music festival!


Paul W. Reeves

Music + Son + Dad=Victory(1)

There are many times in your life as a parent when your kids will absolutely make you as proud as one can be. Moments that send chills up and down your spine and moisture to your eyes, as you experience the joy of watching your offspring have success.

My son recently decided to perform a marimba solo for the annual Solo and Ensemble Festival. While I was proud of his desire to perform for a rating in front of a musical judge, I was drawing a blank when it came to choosing music.

We looked through scores (no pun intended!) of books, read through many pieces that I had played in the past, and browsed through the inventories of a few stores. Irrespective of the time that we had logged in the quest to select a perfect piece for his performance, nothing jumped out at us.

Then ..... it hit me! I thought about taking a piece that I had written while he was in his mother’s tummy back in 1993, re-writing it for marimba, and condensing the orchestral parts into a piano part with which I would accompany his solo. I tested the idea on my son and …. HE LOVED IT!

So, after firing up “Finale”, my computer based music-writing program, I re-wrote the solo music for marimba and transcribed all accompaniment parts into one piano part. I even created and inserted an unaccompanied cadenza into the piece, so that he would be more prominently featured during the performance. I then made a recording of the piece and piano part, so that my son could engage in serious and meaningful practicing even while I was not at home.

At first, the piece seemed a bit daunting, as it featured changing time signatures (including 7/8, 4/4, and 3/4), changing tempos from very slow and dramatic to lightening fast with many 16th notes, and substantial and sudden shifts in dynamics.However, my son attacked the piece with all of the gusto and fortitude of a proven pro!

(So, how did he do? Well, tune in next week for the exciting conclusion!!)


Paul W. Reeves