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Chamber music

We're a family band, playing bluegrass and classical music for 8 years now.

Our 3rd CD, Black&white is available, and we were tickled pink to have been considered for a talk/variety show that aired fall 2006 on Fox. We've played for Missouri's governor during his campaign, for our bishop in Kansas City, for true bluegrass fans at Winfield on the Acoustic Kids stage. 

We took 1st place at the New Musicians Showcase, sponsored by the Liberty Performing Arts Theatre. The kids were thrilled to see so many folks from different genres of music cheer them on, with standing ovations after each song. And now we're feverishly practicing for the big benefit for KC kids and families: time to give back to the community. On July 26, at the Liberty Performing Arts Theatre, look for Chamber music and five guest bands to play bluegrass for three area children's organizations: Alexandra's House, Children's Mercy and Marian Hope Center. Reserved seating at www.LPAT.org or 816-439-4362.

We couldn't have planned this; we're just following what He's laid out for us as a family and trying to keep a slow enough pace to enjoy the scenery. And as the kids "age," and our two oldest attending college this fall, the face of Chamber music is changing.

Music opens doors to conversations with many we've met. Whether we're at libraries, nursing homes, festivals or private parties, folks and kids love to talk about their experiences, about all our instruments and the kids' training. (We love to talk, too, if we could just keep track of the still rambunctious, experimental 8-year-old John, the actor/comedian in the group.)

All began early playing via Suzuki method--parent, teacher and student, weekly and parent and student, hopefully each day. What a great discipline, a  lasting gift to give our children. So we began with Gabriel at 4 on violin, and Luke at 5 on guitar, Suzuki style. From there, as our children hit the age of 5 or so, they began classical training. And our violin teacher, a bluegrass performer with Fresh Cut Grass, suggested we look at some bluegrass as a family. Sounded good to us!

Nothing is ever easy. We almost lost Sophie off the back of the stage at the Glenwood Theatre; strings have snapped and broken just before or during a performance; we've sweated in 105 degrees at a state fair; and nearly frozen in 40 degree weather at a barn hoedown. We've forgotten instruments at the Liberty Performing Arts Competition (Luke can tune a bass uke to cello-talk); we've gotten a bit steamed and stressed at setting up and breaking or taking down.

But it's given us this nugget of what a family does and can do when we work together and follow talents as given by God.

Luke, 19, flatpicks a mean classical and bluegrass guitar. He's been strumming since age 5, teaching guitar since age 13, as he finished up his paper route with his brothers. He also began learning classical bass at age 13. He's the main arranger of our music and can play almost any instrument we have (the banjo and autoharp leave him stumped). And count on Luke to join in on vocals. He was invited to attend a masters class for classical guitar at the American String Teachers Association in June 2006. He was accepted in the Emerging Leaders group at William Jewell College. In his spare time, Luke works as nephrology assistant for Children's Mercy Hospital. In his other spare time, he's been busy with ACES, Area Career Enhancement Scholar program in Northwest Missouri. He's put in many hours shadowing a variety of health professionals and, in his senior year in high school, he presented a health talk on Wolff-Parkinson-White, a heart condition his mom once had. He's played with the Northland Symphony Community Orchestra and Missouri Western's Youth Orchestra, and currently plays with the Liberty Symphony Orchestra, the William Jewell Chamber Orchestra, and a classical guitar ensemble. He was featured in 2006 on FOX 4 with Phil Witt and his Young Achiever's segment! Luke is a freshman at William Jewell College, in the honors Oxbridge program. He's majoring in molecular biology, minoring in music, and will study at Cambridge in England his junior year.

Gabriel, 17, is a junior turned senior! He's jumped up a year in high school and will attend Benedictine College, Atchison, majoring in political science. He's interested in international relations, federal security issues, music and Italian! At home, he has been teaching violin for 3 years. As of February 2008, he won the Northland Symphony Concerto contest for high school students. Last August, Gabriel took 2nd place state in fiddler at the Missouri State Fair in the junior division. He began Suzuki at age 4 on a 1/16th size violin. He's mastered the fiddle and moved on to learning mandolin, bass and guitar. Helping me with our website and production of our 3 CDs, and working with the other boys on violin, keeps Gabriel busy with Chamber music. He donned a cap his freshman year as honorary page at the Missouri Legislature, being introduced by Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and State Sen. Charlie Shields. He's volunteered for U. S. Congressman Sam Graves, and is looking at a career in Criminal Justice and Security Studies. He's played in youth orchestra as one of the first violins at Missouri Western State University. He's in the Northland Symphony Community Orchestra, and has been at the fiddle night and day in preparation for a concerto audition. He's a volunteer at Children's Mercy in Endocrine. With his report on "Phthalates: Legal or Lethal?" he took 1st place in the Homeschool Science Fair. He's gratefully accepted a position at the new Nell Hills store in Briarcliff Village, and any odd jobs he can find around the neighborhood, just building his college account. He also is a dedicated altar server at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church.

Dominic, 14, is one of the key vocalists and second violinist. He's mastering the mandolin and loves piano. He, too, is a dedicated altar server at Our Lady of Good Counsel. He's always interested in nature and biology, having constructed our water feature and ponds out back. A third pond and waterfall are up and running! The desert terrarium in our school room keeps blossoming as he adds more and more succulents, and talk is now centering around a lizard?? And the binoculars he got for his birthday are in constant use in our back yard. He took first place in the Home School Science Fair with his project on converting guppies from freshwater to saltwater (no guppies were harmed in this experiment; they adapted just fine!). He relishes the science classes of zoology, biology and physics. Chemistry is a challenge that he's met well his first semester of 8th grade science.

Sophie, 10, had to copy her brothers when she was 3. OK, so the violin was a wooden toy, but she didn't care. She even fancied herself as Shirley Temple until Mom intervened over those really short little dresses! We did keep the curly lock look, though. Sophie moved to cello at age 4 and is the main vocalist, if only she would keep her mouth on the mic. She's been singing at an early age, as we dubbed her, "singing Sophie." She can usually be found singing and reading, perched in our Redbud tree with brother John. Winter time finds Sophie with her brothers, sledding or playing board games or reading.

John, 8, marches to his own drummer, yes a percussionist, but mainly a violinist and bassist. He's loving playing his 1/10 size bass, as big brother Luke headed with his 3/4 size bass to college. He is our vocal joker, on stage and off. We never know what to expect. During a show in Phoenix this past February, Luke always introduces me, while saying "I'm not going to tell you how old Mom is." John pipes up: "Luke you know how old she is, she's 47!!" Gratias tibi ago, John. Ingenuitive, imaginative, exhausting and exhilirating on good moments, exasperating many times, you parents with kids with this temperament know the feeling. They're all gifts from God!

Mom, no age required as John has already revealed it--a year ago, plays the bass. Gotta love that deep sound after playing flute for many years. I credit the Suzuki method for the kids' ability to  easily learn and perform a wide repertoire from memory. I also publish the FIAT, a Catholic homeschool newsletter, and have finished my 9th year of homeschooling, this year from 2nd grade to 12th grade. 

Dad, alias the roadie, never played an instrument and isn't about to begin. But he enjoys it when the family plays, and has picked up the train whistle on Orange Blossom Special.