As a mom, I love it when my daughter picks up some of my interests. Just as I learned to sew and cook from my mom, there are certain skills I want to pass along to my daughter. But beyond the necessary skills of keeping house, what truly gives me joy is being able to share some of my hobbies or passions with her.
My daughter Bethany is 16, and she and I are blessed to share a number of interests. We both cross-stitch, we’re both avid readers, and we both love watching Disney movies and old Hollywood musicals. However, one of my favorite shared interests comes in the form of a long, cylindrical object covered with keys. We both play the flute. Well, I used to play and can still manage all but the highest registers, but my daughter is one of the top chairs in her high school band.
She and I both started our musical journey in junior high, carried on with high school marching and concert bands, and maybe one day she’ll follow in my footsteps to play in a college band. If so, she’ll likely exceed me, for I only lasted one year in college band before I met my husband-to-be and switched to choir to be with him. (Aw…wasn’t that romantic. Or maybe just desperate. Whatever it was, it worked!)
Bethany plays the same flute I used for marching in high school and college. (So glad I kept that!). My concert flute has open holes, and she’s not as keen on trying that, but I love having two flutes because that means I can occasionally play with her. What a joy! Except when I fumble the notes. But even then, we laugh it off and try again.
Last week, my husband found a video circulating FB with a flutist exhibiting a thoroughly modern technique that had Bethany and I smiling and dropping our jaws in amazement. Ever hear a flute player beatbox while playing? Let me tell you, it’s impressive.
Oh, and what really pushed us over the top into outright laughter was the “smolder” he gave at the end of his performance. So “Flynn Rider” from Disney’s Tangled. Being the Disney aficionados that we are, that just made it all the more fun.
Here’s the video. Enjoy the eyebrows. Ha!
- What hobbies or passions do you share with family members or close friends? Any you hope to pass on to your children or grandchildren?
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That’s great, Karen! I tried to play the flute in middle school, but I quit. My husband is a music teacher and can play all instruments! As far as talents to pass along, I don’t have any amazing talents, sadly. My husband and I are both good readers, and I will be homeschooling in a few years, so we definitely want our son to be a good reader. I read mostly for pleasure (love your books!), as well as for information, while my husband reads primarily for information. I am a former lit teacher and I want to teach my son to communicate well through the written word. My husband, for example, takes no pleasure in writing, but he can sit down and compose very well-written, meaningful statements when he needs to do so. My son will not have to love to write, but I want him to be able to do it, and do it well. (Sorry this was so long!)
Hi, Courtney. The love of reading is a beautiful gift to pass on to your children. I have three kids and they all have varying levels of reading enjoyment. My daughter is an avid reader and constantly has about 3 books going at once. My middle son is a good reader but would much rather play video games. My youngest boy struggles with reading, so it is a chore to him. Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours trying to find ways to motivate and to get him to think of reading as fun and not a chore. A few years back I discovered that humor was the only way to make reading tolerable for him. I think I have purchased every fart book known to man. Ha! My favorite discovery though was a series called Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading. It’s all about a boy who hates to read. Genius! They have 3-4 books in the series now and Peter loves them. Talk about a main character he could relate to. The chapters are super short and there is lots of sarcastic humor in them. I hope all your children love reading, but if you get one like mine, keep these books in mind. 🙂
Thanks, Karen! You had me trying to keep myself from throwing my head back and laughing uproariously at the fart books. (My son is napping and he’s a light sleeper!) Too, too funny! I had no idea the topic was so explored! Glad you found something he likes, and perhaps he’ll grow to like reading in time. Perhaps other topics as well!
That was pretty cool! How I managed to birth 2 very cool children I will never know. I am a “nerd” by their standards. They share lots of common interests with their dad. I guess that what happens when you marry the cool dude. My son also prefers video games to pretty much anything else, but when he chooses books from the library or bookstore you can bet it’s along the lines of Captain Underpants. My daughter loves movies, as I do, but she hates my “back time movies” or in proper English, period dramas.
I guess I am still working on the passing something part…lol.
Cynthia, I’m definitely a nerd as well. Thankfully, 2 of my 3 proudly proclaim themselves as nerds too. 🙂 I’m sure you are passing some important nerdy qualities on to your kiddos, they just won’t admit it till they’re ready. 🙂
Flutists always double as percussionists when they need more bell/xylophone players – this is just the next step to proving that flutes belong everywhere! Jazz flute! Bizarre beat-box rhythm flute! Rock ‘n Roll flute! (Simon and Garfunkel know! Feelin’ Groovey has a piccolo solo hidden in it). Guess what instrument I played starting in fourth grade . . .
Flutes rule the world! Ha! Love it, Rachael. 🙂
What fun! I’ve never seen or heard anything like flute beat boxing before and his smolder at the end was great. Your daughter is darling, Karen! Love the flower in her hair in the photo.
My husband and I both tennis players. It would be fun to share that with our kids when they grow up. So far, it’s looking like only our son is interested. 🙂
I played one year of JV tennis in high school but still love watching all the grand slam events. Watching the US Open now whenever I get the chance. My oldest son started playing tennis in 7th grade and is now on the JV team as a freshmen. He enjoys it, so I guess I passed a bit of that on to him.
I discovered Asian tv dramas a few years ago and now it’s something I enjoy sharing with my mother and sisters. I’m looking forward to when my daughter reads well enough to get to participate, too. (She already does a little bit but reading subtitles aloud quickly enough can be stressful!)
I’ve been doing me best to instill in my daughter a love of books and old Hollywood movies. She was very reluctant to watch Danny Kaye’s The Court Jester last week but I insisted she give it a try and after it was over she turned to me with wide eyes, “How did you know (that I’d like it)?” 😀 I even got the entire family to watch Tora, Tora, Tora the other day. It was a bit boring for my daughter but my husband (a Hollywood classics hater) ended up very surprised. 🙂
Good for you! I love Classic Hollywood movies. The old musicals are my favorite. I forced my daughter to watch a few with me a couple summers ago and now she’s as addicted as I am. 🙂
I learned to love crochet from my grandmother. My daughter picked it up from me and now my 4 year old granddaughter wants to learn so bad! I bought her a large hook and thick yarn and we’re going to go very slow. Don’t want to burn her out or frustrate her.
I think it’s great that you and your daughter both play flute together.
What a wonderful crafting heritage! My grandmother tried to teach me crochet but I just couldn’t get the hang of the needles. I think being able to watch a picture take shape with cross-stitch fit my skill set better. I still have several afghans she made for me now and treasure them greatly.
Nothing like a bit of eyebrow waggling to brighten a day! LOL Of course my passion is reading and I did birth a reader. Poor kid didn’t have chance I read to her before she was born. 🙂 I have a green thumb which skipped generations. My grandma in Ireland had the most beautiufl garden but my mum couldn’t even keep cut flowers a day. I discovered my gardening passion once I’d moved away from home and rented a dulplex with a back garden. My daughter hated helping me in the garden. Hated it with a passion but now that she’s moved out and has her own little place she’s become addicted to gardening as well.
My grandparents were passionate gardeners and I have so many memories about homemade jams and fresh veggies from the garden whenever we would visit. Unfortunately I did not inherit that green thumb. I’m doing good to keep a few potted plants alive. Ha!
So glad your daughter has caught the garden fever!
That flute/beat-boxing is really impressive, never seen anything like it. The “smolder” was hilarious though. Everytime my girls and I watch Tangled, we always try to copy the “smolder” but can never get it right, maybe it’s a guy thing 🙂 One thing I’m trying to pass on to my kids to like and be good at is something I don’t like: cooking. I really dislike it but have to do it. So, I’m trying to get my girls into it while they’re young so it won’t be a form of torture for them when they’re older 🙂
Smart move, Lis. I hope the cooking catches on. Mine will help in the kitchen but none of them are really very excited about it. It’s still a chore. Glad you liked the “smolder”. 🙂
That guy is exhausting to watch! I have a love for music and have passed that on to my children. It is showing itself in different forms, however. I tried to play the piano and the clarinet and all three of my sons spent some time in the school band with the trombone. My love, though, is singing. My middle son also enjoys singing and sings in the high school ensemble at church. However, we all enjoying singing in the kitchen (which may or may not be accompanied by dancing) and in the car and my youngest son can sing all the soprano parts to the church choir anthems because he has to listen to my learning CD’s when he rides with me!
Now for my favorite flute story: One of my HS friends forgot his flute for the football game one Friday night. Instead of letting the band director know and risk getting in trouble, he marched and sat in the stands “playing” the cardboard tube from a pants hanger! Thirty years later we still laugh about that!!
That’s hysterical, Melissa. I’m definitely sharing that one with my daughter. Ha! We are a singing family as well. In fact, several years ago, one of the ladies from church filled in with babysitting duties during the summer when my husband’s parents were out of town, and she dubbed us the family Von Trapp. Loved that! 🙂
What a fun post, Karen – – and how wonderful that you and your daughter share many common interests! 🙂
I played the clarinet in elem. school and high school (then was able to make the “Rhythmette Corp”–think Rockettes on a
high school level, LOL) and being in the high school band was how I met most of my closest friends at that time.
I’m very thankful I held on to “Clara” (my clarinet) because both my nephew AND my oldest daughter played my clarinet
in their school bands. 🙂 I always joked and said that my Parents certainly got their money’s worth from that musical
instrument—having one of their children and 2 grandchildren to play it. But unlike you, I’m certain now I’d barely be able
to play – – and most likely would squeak!! (Think I’d better stick to my piano, LOL). 😉
I know you’re so proud of your daughter – – thanks again for sharing this today.
Hugs, Patti Jo
I love that your “Clara” found so much of a home with the different members of your family. How fun to be able to pass that along. Definitely a great investment!
Haha! Oh, I loved the video! I’m also a huge Disney fan and have seen “Tangled” upwards around 20 times, so that was cool! He does a good “smolder.” Thank you for inserting some laughter into my day. 🙂
I share the passion of reading with my mother and grandmother and hope to share it with my children. I’m also a writer (by nature, not trade) and that is something I hope they will inherit, at least to some degree.
Hope you have a great weekend!
~Sarah
Love that flute beatbox. You are blessed to pass down and share and teach your children. I was a single mom for 7 years and it was hard to do all the things I wanted with them. I encouraged them all in things they were gifted in. I can see my older daughters getting the writing bug and am excited about that. One son, I encouraged in art and another with my old basketball talent. My daughter was the saxophonist- I watched her pass that on to her son who is mastering instrument after instrument.
What my girls share now is their love for their kids that they say they got from me and that means more than anything except their true relationship with the Lord. That is the important thing!!
Your daughter is lovely like her mom. And I LOVE old musicals and classic movies! That is what my mom and I shared when I was little. Which one is your favorite? Mine is probably Calamity Jane.
What a hoot! I’m referring to the video of the guy playing the flute with a beat and those eyebrows. I did laugh. I’m an old woman now; but years ago like you and your beautiful daughter; I, too, played the flute. But I haven’t touched one in years and I have forgotten everything I ever knew about it. Unfortunately when one doesn’t use something for so long; you do forgets how to do it. Your post was delightful!