30 by 30: Learning an Instrument & Writing a Song

Two for one special in this post!  This officially will make up for any day I've missed thus far.

Much like movies, I also have a deep love for music.

There isn't a day goes by that I'm not singing something.  Whether it be a song I heard on the radio or putting what happened to me that morning in song form throughout the day (I'm a lot like Randy Newman that way).

It seems lame writing this, but I really have always thought of my voice as my instrument.  Actually that was incredibly lame.  I'm actually embarrassed that this is now on my blog.  Not so embarrassed that I'll edit it mind you, but I'm still cringing looking at it.  Nevertheless I still think that I have a pretty good voice, and there isn't a song I won't sing or a melody I won't whistle.

This love of music and singing has already rubbed off on our children.  The girls don't so much know their ABCs as much as they know the ABC Song.  They love singing along to songs like Twinkle Twinkle and Are You Sleeping.  And it isn't just nursery rhymes and old school kids songs that they love to sing.  They know the chorus to Little Bird by Ed Sheeran.  They sing along to Jason Mraz.  And thanks to Elmo, they know It Takes Two.

There are times when Grace just sings absentmindedly to no one in particular.  She has music inside her and it finds its way out constantly.  She'll be sitting in her crib avoiding nap time, and she'll just be singing to her blanket or stuffed animal.

The love of music throughout our house made me want to learn how to play an instrument even more.  And this desire to learn to play an instrument went hand in hand with writing a song.  There are many songs about people named Grace, so I thought I could make something equal opportunity about Grace and Ana.  Seems only fair.

Here's the problem: There is a real reason why the phrase "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" exists.  Most people think it's because an "old dog" is someone set in his or her ways and that older people aren't as adept at learning.  This is true, but the bigger issue is that older people don't have the time to learn new shit.  As a parent or just an adult think about the amount of free time you have to dedicate to learning something completely foreign to you.  Let me just slip my music lessons in there between my 8 hour work day, spending time with my two-year-old twins and seeing my spouse.

Now these are obvious excuses, but I will not be deterred.  I still plan on learning on instrument and writing a song.  This will not happen before I turn 30, but it will happen.  It has found its way onto my official bucket list.

STATUS: BUCKET LIST