Nervous. Fearful. Hoping. Longing.  I think that would explain my heart this morning. I buttered up the boys with a really fun Drawing class, then made some super yummy fruit plates. With happy tummies, busy hands, and the quiet that comes out of  focused Drawing – I did something for the Very First Time.

I read.  Text that I wanted them to follow. To fill out a worksheet for.  To be honest, I almost emailed my Charlotte Mason friend and asked what she thought I could do differently to make it more “fun”. But in my heart – I knew – I had to read it. Someone had to. Latin had gone well. Classes have gone well. But not from me.  Just books, for fun.

So – With a deep breath – and without a drop of Kahlua or Irish Cream in my coffee – I read.  Four and a half pages – that created a conversational interaction – from the first sentence. Do you sing in the shower?  “Yes”, they both answered. People have been making music since Creation because God created us to love music. We were encouraged by The Word – Psalms 33:2 – Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to Him on the ten-stringed lyre. “Remember camp – when Jeremy played the 12 string?”, one remembers.

And so it went – reading – a text that seems to invite conversation – as Nathan would read the next question, and we would anticipate looking for the fill in the blank answers. Engaged. Jon coloring his pages, with random thoughts interjected while I read.

. . .theories about music and its relation to math . . sparked another few sentences.

Reading about “instrumental music to accompany their bad habits and wrongdoings” by the Romans – and how instruments were a no-no in the church for that reason – popped both heads up. We talked about theme music in movies – knowing when the murder would come, when people would kiss, horror movies . . . (really?) One talked about wedding music – one talked about Rock Music making people angry – how people respond to different songs in our vineyard church – I was enjoying listening to them bounce ideas and memories of an action accompanied by theme music.

Without giving the whole lesson away – we enjoyed learning about Gregorian Chants, why they started, the “rules” for early church worship, and how far we have come. I couldn’t believe the side bar comments that flowed from the urges of the text that I was reading.

I so want the boys to be immersed in Music and Art, Literature and Language, Science and Math – and enjoy it. Not as a subject to dragged kicking and screaming through – “for their education” – but as their interest.  This is where we have to be the spark igniters – as my friend Teri Camp might encourage.  Light that fire. Blow on it a little. Today – I saw full flame.

Jon asked me what color pants I thought the guy should wear. I named several . . . so he did them all. Ha!

“Jon, I don’t think he was writing a letter,” as I saw him start with Dear – “I think he was writing music – Composer Study and all?” “Well – He was singing it then – Joooonnnyyy You who who who who ‘re soooo Awe awe awe awe some.” We’ll work on his self esteem issues in another post.

Nate really kept up well filling out his two page worksheet! He saw it as a challenge.

Guitar guy is singing dun dun dunnnnnnn to let the Bad Guy know to fire.  Ya. It’s junior high.

I am hoping that all of the lessons from Bright Ideas Press – in their curriculum – A Young Scholar’s Guide to the Composers from Timberdoodle will go as well. The boys are excited to continue.  We listened to a few Chants on YouTube that were recommended in the text. Out of respect for their book – I will not link them here, but you could Google Gregorian Chants and probably find a few.

As a member of Timberdoodle’s Blogger Review Team I received a free PDF copy of A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers in exchange for a frank and unbiased review. I am so glad I took a chance – and the boys are really enjoying it! Woo Hoo!

I’ll continue to report how our studies go throughout the year as I link up to Study the Composers. The link for this week is located at A Teaching Heart – Join Us?