Beginnings. Music lessons for my son started with piano around eight years old. Music soothes the savage beast and touches the right side of the brain, after all. It was a marvelous plan, until we found out he absolutely hated piano. A few years passed, and then we had a death in the family. My son desperately needed a grief outlet that was positive. We tried drum lessons and it was an instant hit.
About a year after he started drums, he joined Rock Academy as a scholarship student through Give To The Music. This experience has taught him how to work with a rock group, from picking (and writing) songs to professional performance, and more. Within mere weeks, he was performing on real stages, not just at home for the grandparents or dinner guests.
Seeing it come together. Life is about more than academics and it’s about more than just music, for that matter. It’s about relationships, balance, improvement and finding your place in life. Music lessons really helped my son find the path that has given him these things. He is more confident now, not just on stage, but personally. Things are coming together on many levels.
I was recently watching him perform Pump It Up with the Rock Academy’s SuperGroup. It’s a song he obviously loves to play. It shows on his face, in his actions, the little movements of a drummer, extra stick twirls and the way he bobs his head and smiles.
Growing. Music brings my son out of his natural introvert shell. Oh, there’s nothing wrong with being introvert. I’m one, myself. But life is about growth and balance. Before shows, he can often be found reading a novel. I understand the need to recharge and prepare with a little private time. But without music lessons and Rock Academy, I have wonder if he’d have developed any extrovert moments at all.
Advancing by degrees. My son has grown from an awkward eight year old who would sit at the piano almost in tears during practice time, to a confident young man that can focus on tasks until they’re mastered and can perform on stage to hundreds of people. I can’t wait to see what new paths he takes with the confidence that began only three years ago with drum lessons at Music Academy Asheville. If you have a child who might benefit from music lessons, I highly recommend you give them a call at (828) 252-1888 or check out their website. They made a remarkable difference for my son.