Parents’ role in cultivating kids’ love for music
Bianca (3rd from left) and her groupmates strumming their guitars on stage together with their trainor.
These kids are not pros but they certainly played the hits “Can’t help Falling In Love” and “Sway” like experienced musicians. Yes, this group of elementary students surpassed our expectations during their recital yesterday and I’m proud to say that my daughter Bianca was part of this performing group. Much to the delight of the audience in IVC Elementary School, the group also played the Filipino folk song “Bahay Kubo” and the Christmas carol “Jingle Bells” among others.
Bianca has developed the love for guitar music since we enlisted her to her school’s Rondalla class a few months ago. Now she can read notes and even teaches me how to strum. So instead of sitting in front of the TV for long hours when there are no classes, Bianca now plays her guitar and forces makes me her avid fan. It’s an easy thing to do for a stage mom like me, lol!
Bianca and the rest of her groupmates have one thing in common - a pair of supportive parents. It may take a few bucks off our family budget and it may steal a few hours of our time each week to get our kids involved in a music class…but the fruit of all this is priceless. Our kids not only learn to play and love music but they also get to meet more friends.
At home, my daughter and I would go online together and scour for video tutorials on guitar playing. It helps that I love music too and I get to influence Bianca in appreciating any genre. For an 8-year old like her, it’s quite unusual that she likes the music of Elvis Presley, Steely Dan, Randy Newman, Robbie Dupree, and Corey Hart. In turn, she’s my major influence in appreciating Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.
By the way, Bianca and her classmates also made a group presentation about the story of Christmas wherein each of them had a few lines to say in the middle of the stage. Though well-rehearsed, two of her classmates forgot their lines, perhaps due to stage fright. If we adults get the fear of public speaking sometimes, what more the little kids? It was a good thing though that nobody laughed. Clearly, the schoolkids’ discipline and respect for fellow students prevailed.
And lastly, since it’s only eight days to go before Christmas, my daughter’s school had its simultaneous Christmas parties this morning. Let me share with you some photos below.
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December 17th, 2009 9:57 pm
Congrats to Bianca, and all the other kids. I am sure they sounded wonderful, and you are so proud.
December 17th, 2009 10:30 pm
Hi Rochelle, it is so good to hear how you encourage your child. What an interesting and inspiring story, and your daughter likes some of the same music as I do, Elvis and Steely Dan. And I’m an old guy at 57. You are doing a great job.
December 18th, 2009 2:58 am
You must be really proud of your daughter! I sure am whenever I was attending a show/competition my brother was part of. He’s also in the Rondalla group in elementary and high school. Then their elementary teacher recruited them (some of her best students) to join them in a couple of Ramon Obusan shows in Glorietta and CCP. Too bad he didn’t stick with it when he attended college. A colleague of them asked him again to play with them while he was still in college but he already lost his interest in playing. Of course, those who stayed with the group were able to perform abroad. I feel bad that he missed that kind of opportunity.
I hope your daughter will stay in focus on her interest and stick with it till the end. You’ll never know.
Re: our place in IVC - If you notice the computer shop signage beside/behind the orange apartment near the rotonda/pedicab terminal, then you know where I live. My in-laws own the shop.
December 18th, 2009 3:02 am
I loved the photo’s.Glad to hear that Bianca likes the guitar.Music is good for the soul.
December 18th, 2009 8:36 pm
Thanks Melissa, Dave, Gene, and Grampy. Yep,I can’t help but be proud of my unica hija. =)