My cousin Cassidy, is 9 and she's studying piano under the direction of my great aunt Joyce who is 81. Joyce is Cassidy's great great aunt. There was a performance tonight in my cousin's basement. An audience of 12 sat around the piano in folding chairs. There was a hockey net set up behind me in front of a wall riddled with holes. Shooting practice.
Without a moment's hesitation Cassidy introduced her first song and her fingers hit the keys. Then another and another and another. She and Joyce played a duet. I marveled as I watched their hands playing alongside one another. The movement of their hands bouncing across the keys together, 4 generations between them, yet one piece of music flowing from the upright.
Next my great uncle hit the keys, Old Shanty Town had my other cousins and uncles singing along. There I was in a basement with my family, uncles and aunts, cousins and parents all gathered together for a short performance on the piano.
Of course the performance ended with coffee and cake. Nothings seems complete in my family without at least one cup of coffee .
My great uncle ran home to get his violin. It was made of an old crutch, a tin can, a wire and a pair of pliers. (I'm not joking) He played us a few songs and some were laughing so hard they had tears rolling down their cheeks. I took my turn at trying to play the string - you squeeze the pliers to play higher notes and release it to play the lower. It was really hard ~ I'm so impressed that my uncle can play a song of any kind (no matter how flat it may be)
I wondered what family time will be like when the oldest generation are gone. Music has been the backbone of my family - the link that brings us all together - the commonality besides what runs in our veins.
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