Bianca's School Band Concert

My eldest daughter Bianca came home from school one day with a clarinet in her school bag. Since being a kid, Bianca has taken a particular liking for music. She sings pretty well and at age 7, can play the guitar and the keyboard almost effortlessly. She is the first (and probably the last as the rest of us are not really into music) member of the family who has learned to play a variety of musical instruments. She brought music into our home and touched our hearts in a very special way.

As clarinet is something new to her, she was all agog to make do with it. Her first attempts were of course - uhhhmmm - not very impressive and as her best critic, I had to point this out to her. Over the next couple of days, she just practiced and practiced, determined to learn at all cost. Why, she has missed a number of her favorite tv shows just to practice. One day, she surprised me with an effortless rendition of some portions of starwars theme song. It wasn't perfect but she has definitely gone a long way in such a short time.

Today, we just attended her school band concert where she, along with the rest of the choir members, participated in a musical ensemble that truly wowed the audience. It was a moving experience to witness children of different colors, of varying nationalities, united by music.

I don't speak the language of music. I don't know the difference between a wind instrument or percussion instrument or string basses or bass guitar. I don't understand how time signatures are integrated with musical notes (i'm sure my good highschool friend marissa can easily give me a crash course on this). But I do know how to appreciate good music. And what beautiful music they created - Mission Impossible, Spider Man, Pirates of the Caribbean, Best of Queen, Cartoon Symphony - to mention a few, with their individual instruments. As I write this, I continue to be in awe.

I figure that it will take me a lifetime to learn to play the guitar or the clarinet. But that is just a piece of cake to Bianca. God really does not bestow equal gifts to everyone, and for a good reason. Imagine if all of us can sing beautifully. No one is there to appreciate good music. At the risk of being branded as a proud stage mother, I will say without batting an eyelash that Bianca, with all her gifts and talents, is an amazing creation of God.