December Member of the Month

decmom

Meet the Hibbard family from Little Rock, Arkansas. Doug and Ann have three wonderful children 16 year old Olivia, 14 year old Angela, and 11 year old Steven.  It was their oldest Olivia who discovered Busy Moms and now three children participate in the Busy Kids program.

Q: What’s your musical background?

My husband and I both played in band throughout high school, and I also sang in choirs as the opportunity was available while Doug enjoyed working on the tech side of things. Although neither of us play piano well, we are very familiar with music theory and can pick out basic melodies.

Q: Anything fun or unique you’d like to share about your family?

For years, God’s provision of a piano was a borrowed one – either an extra from a church we served or one we “piano-sat” for missionary friends while they were overseas. But this year we were gifted a second-hand piano, so we finally have one of our own!

Q: How do you structure piano lessons/practice for your family? Any tips to share?

We’re a homeschooling family, so it’s easy to make piano a natural part of the daily routine. Because of their age and work load differences, each child finishes school at a different time of day. By heading straight to the piano after school work is done, practice time slots rotate smoothly. Every Thursday afternoon, I sit down with each child and walk through their progress for the week to make sure they’re ready to move on.

Q: How did you learn about Busy Moms/Kids Do Piano?

A move took us away from a beloved piano teacher. We had been praying and looking for a teacher who would fit our budget and schedule for at least our oldest daughter when we ran across a Busy Kids Do Piano ad on Facebook. We were hooked immediately, especially since it made it affordable to keep all three kids going!

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

Q: Do you have any stories you’d like to share about your musical journey with piano lessons?

Thanks to the composition lessons, my oldest has branched out and started creating medleys out of some of her favorite Christmas songs, transposing the songs into compatible keys and composing bridges to tie them together. I love listening to her create!

Q: What is your goal with having your child learn to play the piano?

My husband and I both have long believed that music is an important language for all children to learn. And piano offers a natural opportunity to learn music well. We have never expected them to become great musicians, but we know that the benefits of music training abound.

My husband and I both played in band throughout high school, and I also sang in choirs as the opportunity was available while Doug enjoyed working on the tech side of things. Although neither of us play piano well, we are very familiar with music theory and can pick out basic melodies.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *