Said to Myself

Our six-year-old son Yadid has started taking piano lessons. At Adina’s request Melanie Klee, the teacher, is focusing on theory. After a lesson a few week’s ago Adina got the following e-mail from the teacher:

At the beginning of the lesson, Yadid showed me his writing and then we went to work in the red book.  In one of the new pages, which we looked at in the very beginning, the “repeat” sign is introduced which was no big deal and we then we moseyed along, talking about this and that and having a lovely time.  He loves to sing and change the words to the songs as he does it. Yadid is both delightful to work with and delighted by himself when he makes a joke through the words. Yadid has assigned words to the music he is writing in his book. Anyway I digress.  So picture the rhythm of the lesson sailing along to the last few minutes of the lesson. At the end of the lesson, I asked him if he wanted to play any of  his songs for me.  Yadid plays his last composition, telling me  he doesn’t exactly remember what it means but he’ll try anyway, and sings and plays it for me.  I ask him if he wants to play anything else and he starts to look through his pages.  He gets to one, looks, thinks, and turns to me and asks me for a pen.  I give it to him and with a big old grin on his face, he puts in a “repeat sign” , telling me “this one is really short”  and he hands me back my pen.

Adina and I are always amazed by our children. Each of them is wonderful in his or her own way.  It is always nice hearing this from people who do not share their DNA. Over these past years I have learned so much from each of them.  Besides Yadid’s abounding creativity and ability to integrate musical theory, Yadid gets it. Life is Short, so if it ain’t broke no need to fix it. Just try repeating it.