max's new year's resolution...

...was to "blow people's minds with his high-voltage rock."

our son max is an introvert. he is happier at home than anywhere else, which is lovely and all, but if you will refer to my thread regarding the necessity of friends, you can see how i would feel about his need to get out and socialize every now and again.

his friends from the neighborhood starting touring down a wrong road about two years ago, and aside from the occasional football game at the post office, he really has no contact with them. he took up playing the drums and asked for a drum set on his 15th birthday, which he received, and after we saw it was no passing fancy, enrolled him in private lessons, which he has been taking now for almost a year.

Dewey: "All right, let's pray. God of rock, thank you for this chance to kick ass. We are your humble servants. Please give us the power to blow peoples minds with our high-voltage rock. In your name, we pray. Amen."

for his 16th birthday, which was last week, he asked for a more expensive set, which by the grace of God and an unexpected insurance refund check, he received. i have never known a happier child.

he hooked in with some kids from school and one of them, the keyboard player, has a large basement so they started assembling as a *band* about two months ago, maybe even longer. his drumset has been transferred to his friend's house and he is there every spare minute he has (when his fellow musicians are not taking their private lessons). last night was their "debut."

Dewey: "Now, let's get out there and melt some faces!"

they all invited a handful of friends from school to come hear them play and about 30+ teens showed up; plus the band's family members were invited, so it was a pretty tight crowd.

can i tell you, i am still slack-jawed over the talent in the room? i asked my hub last night if it was because max is our son, but he assured me that it was not -- he really is talented, as are his friends. the girls were all up and dancing sporadically, the boys in the room, stiff and too aloof to look as though they cared, but they all stayed the entire night and it was really, really cool.

really cool.

even ben, the biggest snob when it comes to music and talent (which he will readily admit to), was impressed. in fact, i would even go so far as to say he was beaming at his little brother.

Dewey: "Well, music is my life, man. What do you want me to do?"

practice and know your family supports your good efforts :)