Rainbow Girl Over the Moon with 5 Browns Under the Weather

Rainbow Girl and I recently scored when Grandma & Grandpa Cozy called up and informed us that they were taking us to see The 5 Brown's in concert at the local, beautifully restored downtown theatre. Having a peripheral knowledge of "The 5 Brown's", my eyes and ears perked up to their story.

All siblings from Utah. Nifty!
All classical pianists. That should help with piano lessons...
All trained at Juilliard. Whoah!




We were excited to have a special night with Grandma & Grandpa. While waiting for the big show over a month away, the media came alive with stories about the 5 Brown's that would turn me into the ogling drive-by lady in the Cadillac inching past a multiple vehicle accident with fatalities.

No one died, but in the course of a couple of weeks:
* The 5 Browns daughters (of which there are 3) filed charges against their papa for sexual abuse when they were younger
* Before his first appearance in court, the dad swerved his little Porsche off a canyon road in Salt Lake and went to the hospital with injuries (including his wife)
* Days later he appeared in court with cuts on his face, and pleaded guilty to the charges (his wife was still in the hospital)
* The next week he caused an accident when his beamer made an improper lane change

My first question is: Ew. Why does he have so many luxury cars?

And then: Wow, what a creep. Good for these girls to stand up for themselves!

So our concert marked the first performance since this catastrophe. The 5 Browns kept their touring schedule, they didn't gush about the details, and they thanked their fans for their support.



So we showed up and just look at our seats! Grandma Cozy got posh balcony seats with an amazing unobstructed view. The show was seriously amazing. You can see how their insanely big pianos are all formed into a puzzle so they can be in tune with each other. After the first number, Greg Brown introduced everyone and publically stated it was like coming home to play in Utah again. He specifically thanked all of their friends and fans for their support during this "difficult time in our family".

And then the show must have gone on. They were passionate and professional, wearing their own fashionable version of concert dress that included tweed jackets and sneakers, and rotating around the pianos with 5-somes, duos, trios, and solos.

I think one of the most touching numbers was when Melody Brown played the theme song from "To Kill A Mockingbird". What she said seemed to have layers of implication, especially considering their recent events with their dad. In a nutshell she said something along the lines of:

"I think this is the most honest piece I have ever heard. It seems to embody the story in To Kill a Mockingbird and the loss of innocence, but maintaining the faith that there is still good in the world despite that."

I'm pretty sure those were not her exact words, but it made me consider re-reading this awesome book or possibly naming this upcoming child Atticus. Most of all, it made my heart go out to this family with amazing talents, and a down-to-earth demeanor that insinuates that they will rise above this season and persevere. Of course, playing out your emotions on the piano should be great therapy as well.

At one point I found myself locked with my head sideways while I tried to follow what their hands were doing. If I closed my eyes, then it became a totally different experience. Crazy good were those little fingers dancing up and down those Steinways. Yikes!

The other highlight, was during the second encore, when Greg Brown sat down at the piano and sang this Coldplay song. Afterwards, all the siblings seemed quite emotional and hugged each other. It was touching to see their musical therapy play out on stage for us.

I love how the 5 Browns work hard to infuse a love of classical music in young people. And I LOVE that Grandma & Grandpa recognize my little Rainbow Girl's affinity for all things musical, and their support of this talent. Grandma Cozy even gave Rainbow Girl a journal specifically to record thoughts after all of her recitals and upcoming....choir concerts? plays? who knows!?



Thanks for an amazing night Grandma and Grandpa Cozy!

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Friday Favorite: Insert Happiness through the Ear

Whether you're blogging to a personal soundtrack, or stepping away to fix dinner, you will be dually served with some de-stressing tunes. I have some music you must connect with your mac, PC, laptop, iPhone..whatever. In a matter of clicks, happiness can be oozing from your speakers to slime you with love.


Gen Xers old news: Pandora

Baby Boomers What is Pandora?: It's an online radio station that inputs a favorite song, band, or genre and pulls up artists with similar qualities. So if you once had friends that were in the know about the latest and greatest in the music scene, you can let them move on with their life and have Pandora take their place. Sortof (Kristi, I still miss you if you are reading this).

The link to Pandora is here

When there, enter in the following band name: Innocence Mission

You will then be served with a delightful array of tunes. It's been a smash with any girlfriend I've had to the house: "What mix is this? I love it!"

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Name That Tune

Anybody that has come to this blog for second helpings should know who the following guy is. If you're here for the first time, welcome! and please meet Rainbow Girl's first crush:

Glen Hansard. Musician. Irish. And one-time movie star in the indy film "Once" (p.s. Rainbow Girl saw the TV-version...she's seven for crying out loud).

It kindof reminds me of my first crush when I was her age.

Reminds me as far as they both have tousled shaggy hair (how cute) and that moms safely allow these crushes because it's impossible these TV studs to be in 2nd grade, chasing girls, and passing love notes.

As a kid, I didn't need love notes anyway. I had a Luke barbie-doll. Is that possible? Doesn't barbie-negate the luke? Anyway, he was the stud among the blondies and drove a cool black jeep all over my smurf blue carpet in my bedroom. Luke was amazing, passionate, and as a bonus? He had The Force. What more could a girl ask for?

For Rainbow Girl, her crush doesn't have The Force so she can't drive him around in a toy jeep. But his presence is definitely known. After Rainbow Girl showed off her favorite tune (that she finger-picked out on the piano) she discovered an unsuspecting accompanist in her Uncle Jackson. Here they are recently performing for the Olsen Clan. And in honor of shaggy TV crushes the world over, please enjoy:

Time to sign up the kid for piano lessons, eh?

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Last Music Spectacular Post

So I am resident mommy blogger this week gushing about my kid and her passion with music. When you're on a roll....keep goin' right? I needed to record one last recent memory with Rainbow Girl, mostly for her sake. Also because it was one of those tender mercies to the heart of a mother. BTW, don't you love that "tender mercy" has become the latest mormon lingo ever since Elder Bednar's fabulous talk a while back? I hear it at least once a month in testimony meeting.

So the chickens. And winter. It's been tough for Rainbow Girl a little bit. Mrs. Olsen has been doing the tango trying to draw the line between quality time vs. building a work ethic.

Rainbow Girl: Mom, can't you pleeeeeeeeez just come out to get the eggs with me?

Mrs. Olsen: No ma'am, dad already took fresh water this morning (instead of you) and you need to finish your job by yourself. You can do it!

Rainbow Girl: MoooOoom! It's dark outside and I'm scared.

Mrs. Olsen: [pause] I'll turn on the back light and keep an eye on you. I need to fix dinner okay?

Rainbow Girl: PleeeeEEEEz Mom! PLeeEEeeZ!

See the thing is, at this point in the conversation Mrs. Olsen is starting to think that it might be good to get some fresh air, and why don't we just twirl in the snow and go get the eggs together, and she's just a little girl, and she's scared...so just make it fun and be outside together.

And then? I change gears right? I go with her to get the eggs...and then what happens? She absolutely whines and pouts and gets some major sass the next day when she has to get the eggs by herself. So repeat the above conversation, but now you have a pre-emptive teenager finishing off with a 20 decibel FINE!!!! while slamming the door.

So, in order to save her from a yo-yo of emotions, and because our lovely hens and their bounty are all going to Rainbow Girl's savings...I essentially cut her off and said Nope-Nope-Nope! Hurry back and I love you!

That was a couple of months ago.

Aside from cutting her off, I try to remind her to get the eggs before dark. But once in a while, if we're all getting home late from a family party, I'll leave The Mister of the House to unload the car and sneak out with Rainbow Girl to get the eggs together.

The last time this happened was after a Christmas Party. We crunched through the snow, crossed the baby bridge, and picked up the eggs. We lingered outside and Rainbow Girl was obviously relieved and happy to have company.

Rainbow Girl: Sometimes when I come out here and it's dark, I get really scared. But I found that if I sing a Christmas song I feel happy inside and I'm not scared anymore!

Mrs. Olsen: Do you know what that feeling is sweetie?

Rainbow Girl: No.

Mrs. Olsen: It's the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost speaks to our insides and will always tell us what is truth. Sometimes we call The Holy Ghost "The Comforter". Christmas songs will speak to our hearts because they sing about Jesus!

Rainbow Girl: [silence] [smile]

Mrs. Olsen: I love you!

What a beautiful tender mercy that was. For real. I am so grateful that a loving Father helped Rainbow Girl identify a distinct change of heart, and helped me to teach her how to recognize the Spirit in our lives. Thank you!

Leave it to Mrs. Olsen's divine maternal instincts to throw a terrified kid into the dark and her overactive imagination. Grateful we have back-up in a loving Heavenly Father who made it all turn out all right (no...I'm not feeling guilty about throwing a kid scared of the dark into the vast dark backyard. I'm not getting the eggs!).

This video clip is mostly for my parents in Hawaii, who missed Rainbow Girl standing proudly in front of our ward (a.k.a. congregation) and sang "The Little Drummer Boy" with me. Here we are repeating the act at the extended family Christmas Party. Love you kid!

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When Life Happily Stinks for a Seven-Year-Old

Once upon a time I was in "the know" about great music. Basically, it was the time I was sponging off the Hackworth Family and absorbing all of their recommendations. If any Hackworth's are out there reading this post, please forgive me, I have only purchased 3 cd's in the last ten years. Back in Idaho, around the Hackworths and potatoes, I was still spazzing off in the high school scene but I caught glimpses of what a cool college girl could be at the local pizza joint, Craigo's Sourdough Pizza.

It was the college hangout, and we pre-empted our grooviness by nibbling pizza amongst the college boys, even though we were still lil' High Schoolers. On night, they had an open mic night, and this beautiful girl with long straight hair with golden highlights, blunt straight bangs, wearing a groovey scarf and perfectly worn jeans took the mic and sang "You Fill Up My Senses" by John Denver. She closed her eyes and yearned above the mic. After that, I spent about 5 years fostering a secret desire to once, just once, be awesome and sing with a small acoustic band on an intimate low-lit stage in the back corner of a coffee shop or pizza parlor.

The closest I ever got was singin' Bodeans, Indigo Girls, and Sun-60 with one of the Hackworths (usually Kristi) around the campfire. I would rock it until my voice cracked. Back to reality of a one-octave range and plus-size jeans....oh well.

So now...with babies, car payments, and kids, the groovey music scene has taken a back seat. But there's two things you see, and they all got stirred up when The Mister of the House brought home the TV-version of the movie Once a couple of weeks ago.

• Thing One: This movie absolutely took me back to when I was a little more sunkissed, and a little more music-wise. I loooved the music of this flick and my secret desire to be the groovey girl at the coffee shop was stirred up all over again.
• Thing Two: It is inevitable that my little lover of music, Rainbow Girl, will soon be sucked into the adolescent vortex of make-up, boys, and music, music, music. Aaaahhh!

Me and The Mister of the House put the kids to bed, and then sit down to watch Once. Here's the gem of the flick and winner of 2008 Oscar for Best Song. I chose this youtube version on purpose because you're not distracted by the video, just appreciate the melody and lyrics of this beautiful tune.

Ten minutes after this song debuts, we hear Rainbow Girl (not asleep) humming this song in her bedroom. Her music radar zoned in right away. Good stuff!

A few days later, we ingest all of the music from the movie and Rainbow Girl sighs Oooh. I just love his love songs, don't you mom?

Why yes, yes I do. [pause] How old are you?

And the music keeps running and running through her head. A few more days later, after plucking out the tune on the piano, Rainbow Girl exclaims I was made for music.

Now I'm not off to push my kid onto the Disney Channel, teaching her disturbing sexy dances, or forming a band...but I will admit, it's a pure delight for anybody, let alone your own kid, to have a sense of purpose in life, a sense of a special little spice given by a loving Heavenly Father. A genuine love of music.

Aside from Christmas songs, the music from Once was our primary muscial diet over the holidays. And little by little, Rainbow Girl, in all her seven years of innocence, interpreted these songs about love: mostly about love lost, life gets sad, hoping for love again...this way:

Rainbow Girl bounds into my bedroom early in the morning and says Mom, I want you to read this!

My life has changed. Oooooo. Yeah.

What can I bo [do] with out you.

Soooo, thers soon gona be

thing's un ushuwall, and that's

is why my world is goin wrong.

and my ooooon, suff [stuff], is goin some

where. So Life is hard

Mrs. Olsen, [disturbed and worried]: Why did you write this? Is this written for someone?

Rainbow Girl [huge innocent smile]: I wrote a love song. I want you to hang it on your wall!

So there you have it folks (is anyone still reading this freaking long post?). After a promise of a dark and private showing, I talked Rainbow Girl into singing it for me. Please enjoy!

Ten minutes later...

Mom, can I start hanging posters on my wall?

I think I'm in for it, what do you think?

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Live Radio Feed Straight to the Voicebox

Have you ever really looked at a radio and marveled how it can just pluck tunes out of mid-air? How come a song doesn't smack me across the head on it's way? Yet through wavelengths and antennaes it worms its way into your box and comes softly singing you to sleep at night. Just take a second and think about it. It's weird. And wonderful.

My little Rainbow Girl is like a radio. Her spirit, her happy little self, is tuned to music. Before she could even talk she would hum this little baby song that had a distinguishable tune and she would repeat it over and over.

Here she is at ripe young age of 3 and 1/2. We bought the movie Annie and she would watch it and sing the sad little orphan songs. Here she is singing the happy orphan song "Tomorrow!" at the top of her lungs. I swear I didn't pose this pic, I snuck it while she was just going to town. So stinkin' cute!

Just before she finally got a sibling, we took her to Zions National Park. I swear we never do fun stuff like this anymore. But this time, I snuck The Mister of the House and surprised him at this bed and breakfast by the lake. I'm sure he'll be ticked I posted this picture, he's weird like that. Take my word for it sweetchucks, good picture!

So when we weren't terrifying Rainbow Girl on the water, we were wandering through the park. Every now and then Rainbow Girl had to burst out in song. Here she is singing "I'm a little teapot". Go girl.

For the most part she chugged along. We didn't take a stroller or a pack, and she walked a lot that day on her little legs. Every now and then her little toddler legs wanted to stop hiking and watch movies instead. This is Rainbow Girl on a short little jaunt to Weeping Rock. When the park guide talked about this formation, The Mister of the House and I were fascinated by these facts:

1. Water is constantly seeping out of the cliff face, supporting a beautiful array of flora and fauna. When is the last time you said flora and fauna out loud? Please do it now.
2. They have actually carbon-dated the water coming out of the cliffs, and it's really old. Man it's been a long time, so exact numbers are fleeing my old lady brain. But it's up there, I'm talking hundreds and maybe even thousands of years old. I wish I had tasted it! Maybe next time.

So me and The Mister of the House kept talking about osmosis, and seepage, and Weeping-This and Weeping-That until finally Rainbow Girl stopped and looked up and asked "What does weeping mean?"

Well sweetie, it's just means it's crying. The rock is sad and it's just cries and cries. Waaa Waa Waa we laughed and joked on our way to the top. She thought that was funny and for a short moment forgot that she had walked 10 miles that day.

When we got to the formation, we joked again about this sad rock that couldn't stop crying. We paused to look at the flowers, the rocks, and the ferns growing out of the rock face. Then we looked over to see little Rainbow Girl standing a ways off and looking up at the rock and saying something really soft, we couldn't really hear it over the drip.

Me and the Mister did the eyebrow curl at each other: What is she doing?

Then we figured it out. She was singing! That oldie but goodie song "I Am a Child of God". So we had our proud parent moment, snapped a picture, and gave her audience. She didn't budge or explain until she was done with the full verse.

" I sang it a song so it willn't be sad anymore" she explained completely serious. What could a mother do but give her a big fat hug and tell her I love you kiddo?

Willn't is trademarked by Rainbow Girl by the way. Email me if you want permission to use it.

In case you forgot, or you're feeling a little sad, here's a reminder:

I am a Child of God, and He has sent me here

has given me an earthly home, with parents kind and dear.

Lead me, guide me, walk beside me

help me find the way!

Teach me all that I must do,

to live with Him someday.

Just in case you forget your divine potential...

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