Making Music

My family has always been known for making music. My grandfather was an amazing violinist who used to play for the silent movies. He told tales of how his teacher would hold out a huge darning needle at the edge of his elbow, just waiting for him to make too broad of an arm movement. He also told of all the fun he had playing at the fiddling contests. We would watch the glimmer in his eyes as he picked up his instrument as it found its home in his hands. His children all sing and play the piano or the guitar, and we have had many hours of entertainment during my childhood. Many of my cousins play instruments and every time we get together we always get out the instruments and start to sing, and always the favorites are played. We usually call out the next songs...always..'Pool', 'the cookie jar song,' 'goofus,' the lop eared mule', the piano man' and many others.

Tonight while on vacation in Florida we joined in with my mom and dads Thursday night music group. Many of the old time songs were played. We enjoyed a beautiful rendition of a poem titled, The Masters Hand...which talks about how an old violin was going to auction and it was only bringing a small fee, until someone walked up and started to play the violin, sweetly and softly...and as she played the auctioneer continued and the price went up considerably...you see in the masters hand the violin made beautiful music...

and I could not help but remember how quiet my grandfathers violin was the day of his funeral, this was the same instrument that made music and brought all of his grandchildren running into the living room by the piano listening at his feet...feet that tapped out the time. This violin was silent...with nobody to play it.

So tonight as we sat listening to all of the musicians playing...I watched proudly as all four of our children got up and played a song for the crowd. We had a piano player and three on guitars...and I realized that the music that has always been a part of our family gatherings will live on. Most of my cousins children play instruments...we have a young violinist, and many guitar players, some amazing drummers and many beautiful singers in this next generation.

The only difference that I see in this generation is that they do not seem to mind playing in front of people....I asked my little 6 year old how she felt playing in front of the fifty or so people there tonight...and she just shrugged and said, "no problem, I will be playing in front of much more people one day." So I sat and watched and clapped and saw my youngest boy tapping out the rhythm just like my grandpa, and saw the glimmer in my daughters eyes...and new memories were made.