Dialog With a Six Year Old

He came to his lesson last Saturday with a beautifully wrapped present. The tri-colored bow was ingeniously twisted at the top, and the paper of the gift bag shouted things out at me, like “Joy! Joy! Joy!” and “Merry Christmas!” I uttered my surprise at the lovely gift, and let out an “Ooh!” and “Ahh!” as I lifted out the chocolate covered pretzels and a bottle of foamy soap- the kind whose delicious scent lingers on your hands long after you’ve washed them. After I discovered what was in the bag he explained the gift “Well, I didn’t buy it. My mom bought it, and then she gave it to me so I could give it to you… I have Eight Dollars!” I smiled at his frankness; not every kid gives credit where credit is due.

We worked on some Christmas music. Before we started, he protested: “I can’t do this! I don’t know how to play on the E string, or how to use my 4^th finger yet!” I assured him that he could play the song I had in mind for him, and flipped to one that was at his level. His eagerness to be where his older sister is on the violin shines through during every lesson.

As he swings his feet back and forth in his chair he asks “How old do you have to be before you can be a violin instructor?” I told him there wasn’t really a certain age that you had to reach to start teaching, but if he kept playing he would be ready in no time. “You know what?” he said “When I’m a teenager you’ll be a grandma!” I eagerly tried to adjust his math calculations by explaining that I would be in my thirties when he becomes a teenager... but I can understand how 7 years would seem like an infinite span of time for a 6 year old.

Getting this boy to focus on his assigned music is tricky. The music ahead of what we are working on is always much more tantalizing to practice than on what is assigned on a weekly basis. As I wrapped up Saturday’s music lesson he said “Oh yeah, by the way, do you recognize this?” He then proceeded to play a few measures of Ode to Joy from memory. I was surprised; impressed that he was working on something more advanced than what we were struggling to play through just a few minutes earlier. I replied “Yes. Yes I do!” and secretly thought: “Will wonders never cease?”