Emily and I were audience to our daughter Lexi’s first school concert tonight at Lyle Torrant Center in Jackson, MI. She played drums while the music teacher jammed out on guitar. Song lyrics included:
When I play, play, play
Play my drums, drums, drums
I like, like, like
To use my thumbs, thumbs, thumbs, etc.

Because Lexi was sitting on the stage right side, I guess that means she was first chair drummer. Her teachers say that she likes music the most, and that she must listen to a lot of music at home. Given that I work in the industry, and that Emily teaches piano, you might say that she’s around music all the time. Throw the genes in, and she comes by it honestly.

It’s hard to know what a 6 year old with Down Syndrome is thinking. As her parents, we can tell where she’s at mood-wise. We know when she’s having fun and we can tell when she’s not. We know tired, we know hungry, we know sleepy, and we know snotty. She’s got ’em all. But as I watched her play, play, play her drum, drum, drum, I wondered if she realized that she was on stage, with people watching, and with parents recording, taking pictures, etc. It’s the kind of environment where a lot of kids will freak out. But she didn’t seem to care about her apparent fame.

Until they finished their song, song, song — and the audience applauded wildly. That’s when Lexi realized that people were watching. Or, at least, that they were doing one of her favorite things: clapping.

She may not realize how proud of her we are, but that’s ok. We had cookies and lemonade afterwards and now she’s asleep after a long and fulfilling concert.