My Son; A Musical Prodigy

I'm a music fanatic, yes, but that doesn't mean I imposed that fanaticism upon my 3-year-old son.  Needless to say, I was ecstatic when he began to take on the role of musical prodigy regardless.  What do we wish for our children?  We wish happiness for them.  We wish for that happiness to arise from them doing what they love.  If that happens to come from what we love as well, what luck we have!  We can impart our wisdom and information we have gathered on the subject.  Parent and child can come together in harmony over a shared pastime.

My son, Ben, has been gravitating toward music over the past few years.  I didn't push him, but I did provide him with the tools.  He was already adorable.  Then he started singing.  Today he ran about the yard picking flowers (read: weeds) for me today.  As he did so, he sang Taio Cruz's "Dynamite."  "I throw my hands up in the airs sometimes," he'd sing as he gave his very allergic mother a bouquet of weeds, "in the a-yoooo, in the a-yooooo."  He hasn't quite mastered lyrics yet.



When he was about two I was playing his toy piano and he came over entranced.  I moved his hands and playfully smashed on the keys to make him laugh.  To my surprise, he moved my hands away and started pressing keys softly and thoughtfully.  "Ben, play a C," I joked.  Please imagine for me my face when he played a C on his first attempt.  "WHAT? PLAY AN E!"  He hit F.  Close enough for me to continue my excitement.

His fascination with instruments has held over.  He'll barge into the room where my guitar is and start to strum it.  A few days ago he did so wildly.  "Ben," I said, "be careful please."  "Wow," he countered, "this would make a great instrument!"  Yes.  Yes it would.

Now on the verge of four, he makes demands about the songs he wants to hear as the family navigates Long Island.  After Whitney Houston passed my mother ran out to buy her latest album, "I Look to You," the only one not in our collection.  I was pleased watching my son growing up with the music I'd grown up with.  It's a strange and lovely feeling.  Imagine my surprise when he started to sing one of the songs in full, riffs and all!  Below is a video of Benjamin singing "I Didn't Know My Own Strength."  The only thing deterring him is a bit of camera fright.

In the years to come I will see where his musical love leads.  Perhaps he'll venture to sing and play and listen like me.  Perhaps he'll decide to tackle other children on the football field.  The only thing that matters is that he is happy.  As far as passions go for me, I must say that his happiness rivals even music.