Amazing Grace, indeed

This was a little piece of Heaven I experienced on a Saturday in June. It was the second time we visited these friends' house. The first time was a year ago and we had never met in person... only online! We felt such hospitality and warmth that we felt we were family. Last year, I realized this family does what I've been wanting to do in theory/dreams and have never successfully/naturally/organically implemented at our house. They are also a bilingual family (father is Irish), the mom also writes (but actually BOOKS... something, again, I only think of doing in theory), they also don't use electronics individually, at least not while we were there and each child plays an instrument. Every night, after dinner, they sing songs together in the living room, read the day's mass readings, reflect together on them and finish with the rosary. This is so simple to them and so COMPLEX to others like me (and you, I'm sure!) that they actually started a movement: https://www.familiasdecana.pt/

This upcoming weekend they are having a family camp, in tents. Let me know if you want more information!

Anyway, after lunch, they nonchalantly took out their instruments, shared some songs the oldest daughter had composed (I know... whaaaaat) and asked what we wanted to sing. They taught Adelaide (and me!) how to play along, harmonizing, when someone starts playing something. You either hear what key the song is in, or ask if your ears are like mine, and play notes from that scale. Especially the I, IV and V. Simple enough, right? 

Sometimes the sisters stay up late playing together, composing and improvising, on their porch with an amazing view. And, unlike the rude neighbors I have heard of here in Lisbon who ask people to STOP practicing music (yes, even if it's during the day), their neighbors say, play more! 

Playing piano from guitar chords

Did you know you can pulse triads/fifths or improvise accompaniments on the piano based on guitar chords? I won't tell you how long it took me to figure that out. It's embarrassing, considering how long I've been playing piano. 

I also won't tell you how long it has taken me, first to make books with lyrics for us as a family and friends that come over to sing together with. Second, more recently (when I figured out this chord thing), books with the chords for the same songs for myself and any other musicians. 

My hope for this school year is to get better at playing with chords (my ultimate dream is to play like @chad_erinpaine ... unlikely I know), for us to sing one or two a night before bedtime (kind of like Pa with his fiddle) and to sing together with friends. 

I printed these out at home, laminated them and hole-punched them at home. They are mostly all hymns and I found a really great site for free chords and how-to-play hymns which is reawakenhymns.com I also love Okee Dokee Brothers and their sites has chords and lyrics for printing out.

Thoughts on motherhood 3: Projects

(waiting with them during Davy's violin class. Our family band is still a project in the making)

My spiritual director gave me a great exercise to do last summer which was imagine which priorites are the "big rocks" in my life and fit them into the jar of my time first. Then, whatever the "little rocks" are can fit into your day if it works out. If it doesn't, oh well. 

So even though little "projects" or even writing articles are not big rocks in my life, they are what motivate me. I try to get through the big rocks, so I can have ME TIME with the little rocks. 

I think that's okay. What makes life worth living is a feeling of mission or purpose. Not physical pleasures or "well-being". So I'm not so much about getting through the big rocks to have a cup of tea or coffee or take a bubble bath. I'm more about get everyone in bed and the house semi-clean and write an article or this post on this blog right now. 

Auntie Leila writes on her site likemotherlikedaughter.org about order and wonder a lot. For me, I would call it order and projects. We're here on this earth to make life better for others and help each other get to heaven. So when our life is semi-in-order, it's motivating to WORK on projects. 

What motivates you?

Folk music for kids

I am really into finding music that my kids and I can appreciate together in the car. I can't listen to regular, annoying kids songs on repeat. They have been rebelling against the radio. 

Have you heard of Cake for Dinner? These are songs specifically for kids from my favorite band Scythian. This is what started me looking for this type of music. Here is them singing "Flea", live: 

This song is hilarious: 

"Mine" by Trout Fishing in America

We have printed out the lyrics to "What kind of cat/dog/bear are you?" by Billy Jonas. 

They know all the David Landou songs by heart. 

Finally, we have recently discovered The Okee Dokee Brothers. Here is one called "Jamboree": 

Do you have any suggestions?

Isolation Opportunity for Creating a Richer Family Culture Idea #28: Treble clef dot painting

Yesterday Adelaide and Davy had their violin class on zoom and their teacher suggested this activity. We're going to make musical notes (=circles) out of felt and Davy learn two notes and Adelaide a few more through games. 

PS Davy did his with a lot of help from me and Adelaide preferred painting with a paintbrush instead of q-tips. 

Master list here: https://martajuliemaria.blogspot.com/p/isolation-reflections-and-ideas.html?m=1

Isolation Opportunity for Creating a Richer Family Culture Idea #19: Practice your instrument

I am thankful for the ten years of piano lessons my parents paid for me, but sad I still lack the self-discipline to practice. I've been making resolutions and attempts at practicing more over the past seven or eight years, but only during this isolation have I made *some* progress. 

I bought a new book (the one on left) that arrived today and rediscovered the one on the right. I've had Hanon since my childhood, but only when I watched a tonebase video (don't have money to subscribe but watched a video and was great!) did I see the importance of this book, of practicing scales and practicing in general. 

Here is what it says in the intro of Hanon: 
"The study of piano is now so widespread and good pianists are do numerous that mediocrity on this instrument is no longer acceptable. Consequently, one must study the piano for eight or ten years before performing a piece of any difficulty, even at a gathering of amateurs. Few are in a position to devote so many years to this study. It often happens, that for lack of sufficient practice, the playing is uneven and incorrect. The left hand gives out in passages of slight difficulty. The 4th and 5th fingers are almost useless for lack of special exercises; and when passages in octaves, in tremolo or trills occur, they are usually executed with such great exertion and strain the performance is incorrect and expressionless.
For several years we have worked to overcome this problem. It is our goal to combine in one book, special exercises which make possible a complete study of piano technique in far less time.
... (continues)"

Master list here: https://martajuliemaria.blogspot.com/p/isolation-reflections-and-ideas.html?m=1