The study of the history of music, seconded by hearing the actual performance of the masterpieces of different epochs, will prove the most rapid and effectual cure for conceit and vanity. -- Schumann
I love Alison! No, really. She can get Ditz to work harder in 5 minutes than I can in 5 hours but of course she dangles the magical carrot ~ Music! And believe me she worked those kids hard last night! They are working a couple of a Capella pieces in 4 part harmony ~ a cannon & a madrigal. The madrigal is set in 4/4 time ~ only it's not because 4/4 time wasn't invented yet when the song was written so the lyrics sort of don't fit the music & the kids were having all sorts of problems reading the score ~ let alone singing it! Believe me, it sounded awful!
Yes, I do find this fascinating. I put aside my book, which I've been wanting to blog about for days, to watch this one go down. Alison gave the kids an earful about music being more than just singing the right notes in the right order in the right time! lol. She wants understanding as well as heart so the kids got a lecture on the meaning of a capella, on the difference between secular & sacred music, & the influence of the church in the 16th century! "History," said Alison, "is important." At which point I nearly lost it. Ditz was looking like she'd been ambushed. So not fair! Here she was peaceably passing time singing only to get the "Mummy really does know best" lecture all out of the blue. Oh, yes! I've been doing the, " You need to know your history for music" lecture ad infinitum for some time while Ditz just rolls her eyes. The look on her face was priceless.
It got worse. Alison gave the abbreviated version of the church silencing women. Ditz lives with me. She's heard the long version of this sad & sorry epistle. Not new news, no. Worse, the word metaphor got bandied around. I have never seen so many bewildered faces. Only Ditz was half~heartedly waggling her hand round because she understands about metaphor & got that the dying swan represented all the silenced women. Only child in a roomful. The younger ones, well, maybe, but the big ones? What do they teach them in school?! Sonlight mentions metaphor a lot! Ask Ditz. She's been rolling her eyes over that one for months!
I was thoroughly enjoying myself. Charmed. Completely. Mind you, I wish Ditz wouldn't do this to me. Just when I really start thinking I am doing a completely lousy job of her education & the child is going to be an intellectual Neanderthal all her life because of it, she pulls a stunt like this & I realise she has gulled me yet again. Something has gone in but she tries really hard not to let anyone know how much she knows in case, heaven forfend, they start thinking she is clever! Aaargh! She needs to put all that cleverness to a more constructive use.
Sadly I mortified her when they were all done by mentioning to Alison the Isiah verses that were the churches excuse for banning musical instruments as being "of the devil". Poor Ditz. She tried to silence me but, you know, history is so my thing!
6 comments:
Well, you had me laughing from the title alone once again. Just think of all these stored memories to look back on some day! Please do not say you are a lousy teacher, though as anyone that can teach, be a mom/wife, housekeeper and keep a blog like this one is on the ball! I'm certain you are doing marvelous.
You know, I always forget our time differences and so it is only now I realize that we have stopped our schooling for summer break here and you are still going at it. Do you hs year round though? Curious....
Much love,
Jan Lyn
Jan Lyn: I find Ditz hysterical but she is really good at making me feel inadaquet. On the premise, I supposse, that if she can really tie me up in knots we will send her to a *proper* school where she need never exercise her brain again! And that is exactly how she expresses it. Ouch. Most of these kids are in some of our *top* schools & will do exceptionally well in their exams [unlike Ditz] but seem chronically incapable of making connections "across the spectrum", so to speak, while I do nothing but so Ditz has learnt that by default. It's how I know she is actually really, really clever ~ & really lazy to boot!
We take a long, 8 week, break over Christmas. I don't find it particularly restful as we lurch from Christmas to New Year to time with my mum & then it's back to school again. I try to squeeze slightly longer than average breaks into the rest of the year but that requires Ditz's co~operation & she doesn't always co~operate. She should be finished now & she's still going.
I'm with Jan.. I saw the title of this post and could not resist coming over and reading.. and it was sooo worth it! Oh, how I lol'd (for real!) when you described Ditz/ reaction to Allison's lecture! Tell me, were you able to catch her eye during this whole episode or did she studiously avoid eye contact? ( my Amelia would have... he he he) Being a mam is just such *fun* sometimes, isn't it?
Oh and a bit of sad news... our littlest kitten is doing poorly. He started tilting his head last evening and by tonight he could barely walk he was twisting his head so. A friend of Louisa's is not-quite-a-vet-but-almost and he (saint that he is) stopped by the house this evening to take a look. He thinks there is some sort of problem with one ear and gave us something to flush it out with. He was cautiously optimistic.... but your prayers are much appreciated.
You could never be inadequate. Just the mother of a smart and crafty teenage daughter. And sometimes you get to call her bluff. Absolutely priceless!
Diane: Ditz would not make eye contact at all. No way; no how. ☺ PS thanks for the little lesson on the smiley thingys.
Sandra: Smart & crafty? Oh, I like that! I like calling her bluff even more. lol.
Although I have not seen Ditz having a mortified expression on her face with my own eyes, I can well imagine it.
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