I watch him, my almost ten year old son. I watch him standing in the doorway that leads to the world that captures hold of every fiber of his being. You can tell by the expressions that wash across his face, by the body language that pretends to be a grown up. I wonder in those moments of watching him what he is really thinking about as he stands in that doorway. What thoughts is his little 9 year old mind processing. He begins to tap his foot to the beats of his Dad's music, but his glance never leaves the other musicians as they chart the song or his Uncle Russ who sits tweaking with the sound board in preparation for the next song. He listens intently to his Dad giving instructions and humming the visions he hears in his head for these new songs. He listens as if it's just as important for him to know what is going on.
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| Carter Standing in the Doorway of The Brown Owl Studio |
I am more taken with him than I thought I would be during trip to The Brown Owl Studio. He is consuming the majority of my focus and he is absorbing every second of his first visit. I keep watching him. He is in love with this place, he is in love with this music. Of course this is no surprise, given the child's gene pool. However, I had no idea that it would have taken hold of him this early in his life. The melodies and the lyrics fill the air around us and Carter seems very at home, very happy. I imagine he finds the studio process insightful and maybe somewhat magical to his nine year old brain or maybe he sees glimpses of his future.
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| Carter sitting and watching his Uncle Russell work |
My younger two sons seem to be much like me. It was cool the first five minutes, but after that boredom sets in. I have always found the studio process monotonous and repetitive. Way too tedious a process. No it's not my favorite part of the music making process and I think my younger two, at this stage in their lives, seem to agree with me. That will probably change as the years go by, but for now they are why we make an early exit to our visit so that peace and quit and the stillness that comes with this process can be restored.
This hour in the studio with my son has taught me a little. I knew music was a large part of Carter's life. It's what he spends the majority of his time thinking about. He most always has a guitar in his hand following us around strumming out chords and he has even written his first song, and not a bad one for a nine year old kid. Yet, I still learned today watching my son. As his mother, music allows me to see this child more clearly. It's what he loves, it's what he is good at, it's his blessing and his gift, it's his expression to his world. There is no doubt that this studio world he walked into for the first time today will play a role in his future. Even at his age, he just seems to fit there naturally. As his Mother, I recognized on this day maybe more than any other day just how important this really is to him and how it is shaping him into who he is and the man he will someday become. I will learn to better nurture his talents and his love for music. I will make more time to listen even if I don't understand. I will recognize his excitement over new chords learned, because it really is a beautiful thing what I see music doing to my son.