MUSIC,
a gift from god, a personal journey, or a connection to all of our hearts?
We all have that amazing music story, but my story is filled
with music miracles, a little moment into my unborn child’s life, a connection
that will connect us forever. Happy Birthday Kyle Campbell your gift of music
was you before there was you. This story is for everyone that has a musical
child.
You would all like to believe that Kyle's parents, his dad
and I had enormous music talent that was bred generations deep and thus we
passed on to our unborn child. Years of classes and endless hours of
instruction gave Kyle this gift and love for music. Not the case, his father
and I laugh while in the car how nether can us can hold a tune or remember the
words to a whole song we love. Music notes are as foreign as the foreign
language button on Google if you accidentally mark the wrong language button.
We believe we have a good ear and like some of the greatest music ever wrote,
but that’s it. I have sat behind hundreds of instruments and other then the
beginning to Stairway to Heaven, taught to me over and over by my high school
friend, never once did anything sound like music.
So where do we get our musical talent? Here’s my true story.
When I was 19 years
old I met my soul mate, we were engaged and married six months later. He
watched me when I would dance around the dance floor in my own world, maybe not
even in rhythm but to me music made me happy, it took me away from the sadness
of my only sister dying of cancer. When
I danced I felt no care in the world. Chip would watched more than participated
because of my lack of rhythm someone was guaranteed to get hurt. We were
married so quickly, that on the flight to Hawaii I felt I had a broken record
repeating my head. Married? Married! Married? Married! For the ones that
watched the old 80’s classic Sixteen Candles, remember when Long Duck Chong was
at the door while everyone was at the church that was the voice that went
through my head over and over!
Upon our return from our honeymoon, I took a pregnancy test,
the accuracy back then was not so good, so I decided to go see my local doctor for
a blood test. I was 5’5” and all of 105 pounds, I used a bandana as a belt,
that’s what we did in the 80’s, what I’m saying is I didn’t look the least bit
pregnant. The doctor confirmed my pregnancy via urine test but sent me to the
local lab for blood work as well. Upon entering a crowded room of every age and
gender I gave the paperwork to the lady at the desk she told me to take a seat
and they would take me in the back very soon. I had one older gentleman
awkwardly staring at me, I would give him a slight grin and continue to read a
magazine, then he started walking near me, he leaned over and said, “You’re
pregnant.” Huh, did I already look pregnant? How could that be? He then said, “You’re
having a boy and he is musically talented, have a nice day.” He then left the
building. What the heck just happened, I was in total shock!
My name was called to the back room, still in complete shock
of what just happened, I couldn’t help but ask the technician, “Who was that
man?” She continued to tell me he is an old winter visitor that is a well-known
psychic! My ride home from the doctors was a little like the flight to Hawaii,
I’m Pregnant already? Why would someone like me have a musical child? I vowed
if this was a boy, I was going to introduce him to music when he got older and
maybe consider lessons or something. His talent for music came way before I had
a chance to do that.
Kyle was born nine months and three days after my wedding
date, yep, nine months and three day! I never went out of my way, while he was
a baby to teach him music, other than dance with him, and try to sing him the
typical lullaby’s at bedtime. His father never went out of the way teaching him
music, he was a normal child being brought up in a normal young dad, very young
mom world. Kyle sister, Brooks, came when he was only 22 months old and then
another little sister Nikki 24 month after that. Sending Kyle to Daycare when
he was only three years old. No music classed or no instruments around the
house, no family sing-a-longs unless it was Barney, “I Love you, and You Love
Me”, which was sang across homes everywhere. We were so poor we couldn’t pay
attention, so how we came to get a stand up piano was clearly by luck…or maybe
gods plan?
My parents owned a business and one of their accounts went
bankrupted. All creditors were invited to and estate auction to help reduce
some of their losses. Times were tough back then and my sister had recently
lost her battle with cancer, my parents company was struggling as well, so the
account insisted that my parents take their family piano. My parents had no use
for a piano and hated to take it from this very nice couple just because they
too were going through tough times. My parents
made arrangements to have the piano picked up, with nowhere to place it, my mom
asked if I wanted to store it in my living room until they found a better home
for the piano. The piano didn’t get any action from me or Chip, but Kyle at the
age of just four years old would climb up onto the bench and hit the keys like
any toddler would. My days and nights were filled with clang, clang, bong, the
boy loved to sit on that bench hour after hour making noise. The day noise
turned to music, was they day I will never forget.
Like I said earlier Kyle was just four years old. I was in
my closet that shared the same wall as the piano when I started to sing, “And
the rockets ‘red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof thro' the night
that our flag was still there, O say, does that Star - Spangled Banner yet
wave…….what the heck that sounded like the Star Spangle Banner! I ran to
the living room and asked Kyle, “Where did you hear that song you were
playing?” Very matter a fact he said, “At school.” I asked him if he could play
it again and he started it from the beginning and then stopped after Spangled
Banner yet wave. “That is all I can do now”, he said in his little four year
old voice. “I like playing this piano, mommy don’t give it away.” I knew that
was a given as soon as his grandma and grandpa heard what I just heard.
I had a friend who was a retired musical professor at a
college that I contact instantly, “I have something to show you”, I said, “Bring
him over,” she said,” Now,” I said, “sure”.
I was so excited for her to hear this, I knew nothing of cords, music,
and piano, so could I be just another crazy mom? When we got to her house she
asked Kyle to join her up on the bench, with his legs not even touching the
floor, Kyle proceed to show her what he had got his piano to do. She smiled and
said, ‘You have a boy that plays by ear, how exciting, I would love to have him
a couple days a week and work with him,” Oh boy. I don’t have the money for
music lessons what do I do now? Then music to my ears, “Drop him by on Tuesday
and Thursday’s after school, this is just what this old lady needed in her life, the lessons are on Me.”
Another music miracle day for me! The musical miracles continue year after year
but the day my Step father Chuck Lund passed away is a big one.
Hospice was called in we watched day by day wondering when
Chuck was going to take his last breath. My father had died when Kyle was only
ten months old so Chuck was the only grandpa Kyle knew on my side of the
family. Kyle was in college and at the end of a semester so he was trying to
get home before his grandpa died. Chuck was slipping fast, often he would ask
when Kyle was coming home, he wanted very much to talk with him before he died.
So one very sad day our house was filled
with Aunts, close family and friends comforting our family. The local Rotary
Club and Catholic Church members were in and out of our home saying their
good-byes to our dear Chuck, when the sound of our very heavy door opened and in
walked Kyle, relieved Kyle had made it home in time, but nervous on how Kyle
was going to do after seeing his grandpa so ill. Kyle went straight to his bed
side there was sounds of music from the room, they listened to music and they had the, your my grandson I need for you
to take care of your grandma, Joyce, your mom and your sisters talk. Kyle
walked from his room, all eyes were on Kyle wondering if he was going to cry,
breath or what? “I have been inspired to write a song”, were the only words out
of his mouth. The night was long, Chuck died that same night. Not much was said
about the song Kyle was inspired to write, with the funeral, grieving and
comforting our loved ones all consuming. Kyle headed back to college for what we
thought was to catch up on school work but to our surprise this song is what
Kyle was doing to keep his mind of the loss of his grandpa. A couple days
before the funeral Kyle revealed his inspired song to the family which to say
we were all in tears by the end, is an understatement, that is when Kyle
announced ‘oh, by the way I fail my Algebra test I thought this was more
important. Kyle’s song was played at Chuck’s funeral and to this day when Kyle
plays this song you can hear a pin drop in our family knowing this was a gift
not only from Kyle but something much bigger than all of us.
Let’s work hard to save music and arts for our children and
Happy Birthday son!
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