Saturday, November 03, 2007

Heart and Soul


I was in my studio last night, playing Heart and Soul on the piano. The middle child has discovered this at school and wants to learn it. The children were all upstairs watching the Friday night movie, and I was just noodling on the bass part. I was thinking about all the ways it can be played differently, and how to teach her something about music through it.

The boy twin appeared, jumpy and excited. "It's too scary for me!" he says.

I patted the bench and he sat down close. I said, "Here is C. I'm going to play a song where C is Home, will you play with me?" When he nodded, I think his whole body lifted and settled -- what were they watching upstairs? He was twitchy and vibrating.

So I whispered in his ear, "C is Home. You can play anything you like, and you can go anywhere you like, but just keep coming back Home.

And don't go too far away, or you may get lost.
And don't forget where Home is.
Right here, next to the group of two black keys."

He nodded, bumping on the seat to begin, so I played, and he played above me, with the courage and the freedom of an 8 year old boy.

Seconds later he was gone, attempting the excitement of the movie again. I kept exploring how to move from C to A, to F, to G...

Five minutes later he was back and resumed his position, playing high and strong and now trying with both hands, then he disappeared.

For the next half hour, I kept on a steady pulse of a simple song in the basement studio of the house. He came and went without speaking, adding his free-wheeling melody to my soft structure.

I thought about him leaping up from a particularly alarming scene on the television. Excitement propelling him down the basement stairs, through the dark play room, toward the light coming from my studio door. Toward the murmur of music that was just the same as when he left.

Seems like that is what Home is all about. A constant drone of familiarity that you keep coming back to. A hum in the foundation of your world that is always there, in the back of your mind, for when life gets too scary.

Heart and Soul playing on and on.

12 comments:

kool kenna said...

So what movie were they watching?

Kulio said...

Matilda!!! Have you seen it? Scary!

Michelle said...

Hey Kulio,
thanks for reading my blog. Did you find out where "Big Jesus" is?
And, have you read any Donald Miller books (Blue Like Jazz, Searching for God Knows What)?

Kulio said...

Oh yeah, I loved Blue Like Jazz! Haven't read the other one... Velvet Elvis was sort of weird/cool too (Rob Bell)

Big Jesus is on I-75 in Monroe, Ohio!

peace!

Michelle said...

Hey K,
thanks for leaving the comments.
Yes. Velvet Elvis was an incredible read and Bell's latest "Sex God" sure brings up lots of stuff too. I'll check out Anne if you check out "Eleanor Rigby" by Douglas Coupland. And, thanks for the big Jesus info. If I'm ever in Ohio...
M.

kool kenna said...

lol really? i didnt think it was scary.

kool kenna said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
kool kenna said...

well now that i think about it, kind of was a bit scary with that doll and all.

Karaeleanor said...

For Kenna:what are you talking about?!

Karaeleanor said...

Good story mom.this is your "Middle Child" speaking

Anonymous said...

I am stuck in the middle of Blue Like Jazz AND Sex God and have been for months now. I just can't make myself sit and read more than a newspaper or magazine.

Can you develop ADD as an adult? tee hee

kool kenna said...

you know... never mind