By Sue Tabb
May 15, 2008 09:36 am My daughter recently played Beethoven's Ninth on her flute while hula hooping at a school talent show. The hula hoop never fell from her hips. I couldn't play Mary Had a Little Lamb on a kazoo if someone were holding a gun to my head. I'm glad my daughter has discovered talents that I never even explored. I went to a school where we were taught reading, writing and arithmetic. There was no music program, art program or drama program. We didn't even have physical education unless you consider being stuffed into a locker a workout. Oh, but I did learn Latin; and I can still recite the Our Father, which might come in handy if I ever dine with the Pope. I also know how to say "The farmer lives in the country." There's a powerful tool to keep in my back pocket. It's funny how different the curriculum looks today versus when I was young. And by different I mean better. Kids today are exposed to so much more than I could ever have imagined possible. I didn't even know what economics or art history or computer science was when I went off to college. Some would argue that hasn't changed much for me. This same daughter recently showcased additional talent when she sang a solo at the school concert. Now this really boggled my mind, since I send people running from the room when I sing. In fact, there isn't a single adult member of my family who isn't completely tone deaf. Who knew that one could produce an offspring that was seemingly pulling from a completely different (and again by different I mean better) gene pool? The music teacher at our school is beyond phenomenal. He has taught dozens of students to play a multitude of instruments and started band and chorus programs that have the kids excited about and genuinely interested in music. I don't think this is a small feat. I know I was never excited about music because I didn't really understand it. Music to me was simply the pop songs I heard on the top 40 station. (Again, and especially if you know my work history, things really haven't changed much.) I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that my youngest daughter is also musically talented. She can sing, dance and play the clarinet. My husband did play the trumpet and French horn. He gave those up for something he thought was much cooler — the guitar — when he was in middle school. That abruptly ended when, after a full year of lessons, he hadn't gotten past "Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley." That ZZ Top song he had in mind was a few lifetimes away. It's not that my husband and I are devoid of all talent; we, too, were endowed with certain "gifts." For example, I can fold a dollar bill into a bow-tie shape, drive with one knee while sipping coffee, and give my daughters a French manicure without any nail guides. Speaking of French, my husband can speak enough of the language to find a restroom in Paris or the nearest patisserie, which I find quite practical. Now, as if to mock their parents' inadequacies in the fine arts, both daughters are performing in a local play. I'm beginning to feel like someone switched our babies at birth. How else do you explain this phenomenon? One of my friends is quick to point out that I, too, am a performer of sorts, since I love to talk and be the center of attention. I counter that by reminding her that this "skill" requires nothing more than a big mouth and an absolute lack of shame. At least my children can back up their talent. I guess what I'm really trying to say, besides that I have no discernible skills, is that I am thankful for what my kids have. I understand the value of what these talents can bring to their lives because learning is about so much more than having all the right answers. (Of course the right answers do help.) But maybe doing a little "hula flute" along the way makes the journey more enjoyable. It's definitely a lot more fun than conjugating Latin verbs.
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