An investment

Aside from a brief stint at piano lessons as a kid (cut short by the realization that, hey, it's darn difficult to actually progress at piano lessons when you don't have a piano at home, lol), I truly have no music experience. I can't read music and rarely even listen to it, and I'm okay with that. ;)

It makes me happy, though, despite my own lackings in interest and ability, to be able to foster music appreciation in my boys. (Not that I'm pushing it...just happy to be able to provide it when asked for.) Since Noah was two, we've had some sort of music class or lesson in our lives. We've done little kid music appreciation, group piano lessons, quasi-school lessons in piano, recorder, chimes, handbells, drums, and guitar, and now private clarinet lessons. This year, specifically, Noah's doing his own thing by continuing to practice guitar on his own (no structure, just enjoys learning new songs)...Asher's learning clarinet with regular lessons with a private instructor (and is talking about wanting to try trumpet next, heaven help us)...and Micah's taking piano lessons at Options. 

It's that last one that prompted this post.

You see, we don't technically have a piano either. Years ago (when Noah was about four) we purchased a portable keyboard...nothing fancy...just one of those cheap electronic keyboards for the boys to practice their piano lessons at home. It held up amazingly well. But. As Micah started using it this year, he began pointing out that a number of the keys simply didn't work any more. That, apparently, makes practicing more difficult. :) 

So. We took it as a sign when we received a flyer about the neighboring school district's annual musical instrument sale in conjunction with a foundation dedicated to promoting music education through things like donating instruments and raising money through the sale of those instruments (such that a good portion of any purchase is tax deductible). Though we'd thought to merely replace our keyboard, we figured it was worth a look. 

And then Micah fell in love with the pianos. 

They had gorgeous pianos of varying shapes and sizes. Gorgeous. The boys walked around trying them all out and enjoying the actual piano key feel. Micah started insisting that he was going to learn how to play the piano really well...that the piano was going to be "his" instrument. And, somehow, we went home with a digital piano and the hope that we were making an investment in the boys' musical future (especially as the piano is one of the instruments that they all play).

It's not a "real" piano that needs tuning and all. But it has all the keys and an acoustic piano key feel. It has a pedal and prompted the purchase of an actual piano bench (to date, the boys had just stood when playing).

Getting it set up caused the older two boys to rediscover old song books and begin playing...such a lovely thing to hear! It also caused Micah to re-declare his intention to learn piano...and then proceed (all on his own) to go find online videos and all of his brothers' past lesson books to help him, as apparently his class at Options is moving too slowly for his liking.

Can't really argue with those results... ;)