Because We Are A String Family

"I learn something not because I have to, but because I really want to..." - Yo-Yo Ma

Because we are a string family, this little guy always seemed disgruntled at being "forced" to take piano lessons. He has watched his brother and sisters perform in orchestras and symphonies and  Suzuki recitals while he has begrudgingly plunked away at those darn ivories. 

Because we are a string family, Neil and I decided to fight Mr. Jonah no longer on this issue, and for the first time in ten years, our little Clavinova sits quietly in the corner with no one to practice on his keys. 

Because we are a string family, we hopped in the car and drove to Circe Dopp's Violin Shop and tried out a 1/2 size cello only to decide that Jonah would outgrow it before he had stepped out of the violin shop. Circe had 3/4 size instruments that we decided would be the right fit. We brought Jessica along to play on each cello, allowing us to make a more educated decision on which instrument had the best tone.

After careful consideration, this lovely little cello became the newest member of our string family. He has a little crack, but his tone is lovely and Jonah is all smiles! He finally feels a part of this string family.

Jessica gave him his first cello lesson. She introduced him to the parts of the cello. He was familiar with the bridge and the endpin and the scroll, because after all, we are a string family.

This lesson was all about having proper bow hold, which is the most awkward experience for every beginning string player. But Jonah paid close attention and followed Jessica's instructions with exactness. He pulled the bow gently across the string, stopping to fix his bow hold before moving onto the next string.

There was no fighting, no arguing with his sister, just careful concentration. He will learn as much as he can from her before she heads off to college to begin her education on how to teach other string players. Jessica helped him name the newest member of our string family. This cello will be known as Emmet. The name may or may not have come from a certain Lego movie. He'll sit in his case alongside Tony, and Jack, and good ol' Danny Boy. Jonah gets him out several times a day and practices pulling his bow across each string, one time pianissimo, the next time forte, each time carefully and with the proper bow hold. Jonah seems to be learning because he wants to, and it is difficult to get this kid to do much unless he really wants to.

I think this switch will be a good one. I look forward to watching Jonah and his new friend Emmet go on this musical journey together. They have a wonderful road ahead of them, and they won't be traveling it alone. After all, we are a string family.