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Nina Murphy
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Joined: May 18 2006
Location: California
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| Posted: Jan 14 2010 at 12:38pm | IP Logged
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MarilynW wrote:
| Nina - thanks for writing. And I so know what you mean about the music - my dd has already checked out the music programs and the orthodox Catholic colleges just do not have the program she wants. |
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 Too bad it has to be one or the other. 
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God bless,
~~Nina
mother of 9 on earth,
and 2 yet-to-be-met
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Veronika
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Joined: April 23 2008
Location: Pennsylvania
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Posts: 57
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| Posted: Jan 14 2010 at 7:25pm | IP Logged
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I just want you all to know that I'm lurking! 
I don't have anything to add by way of advice as I'm just now embarking. I've always thought I'd begin my homeschooling adventure with my little ones, while the older ones remained in the local ps, where they seemed to have been happy until now. My oldest is having alot of difficulty in 9th grade, not with her grades, but with the environment around her. She's overwhelmed at the morality, or lack thereof of the students there and the unwillingness of the faculty and staff to maintain order. She's asked to be homeschooled too! Some of you asked for encouragement and positivity...be at peace in knowing that your childrens minds and hearts are safe. I now see the alternative, that being a public school educational setting, and I'm a bit ashamed that I let it go this long, and let it get this bad. The thought of providing her with all the advantages and details of a "professional" education is intimidating, nonetheless. I always thought this high school thing would come on gradually and I'd learn as I go but I'm soon to be plunged right in! I'll be listening for any tidbits of wisdom that you all would like to share! Thanks!
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Veronika
devoted wife and Apostolate of Holy Motherhood Mom of 5 precious children: daughter '94, son '96, son '98, and twin daughters '02...
and one little girl in heaven
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Leonie
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| Posted: Jan 15 2010 at 12:21am | IP Logged
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Nina Murphy wrote:
I think individuality and specification ends up in a large family being the *key*. We didn't plan well. We didn't stay on top of things. We got behind and were scrambling at the end. But we knew instinctively what our daughter was gifted with, and what she was interested in and we went forward based on that....and she knew, and we ended up having to trust that.
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We have found this individuality to be the mort importna part of the process..it is the advantage of hoemschooling, we can look at each child as an individual and at their own, unique paths, strengths, weaknesses.
I have loved Cafi Cohen's articles on this subject.
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Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
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ALmom
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| Posted: Jan 15 2010 at 2:57am | IP Logged
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Oh, Marilyn, I just now saw that your dd wants to be a music major :) Yep, we checked everywhere for a Catholic school - not meant to be, no one had music at all - well Franciscan had a minor. In desperation, I wrote to Msgr Schuller. What a kind man he was to write back to this total stranger who knew absolutely nothing about music - and dd only decided that was where she was headed in 9th grade - at which time we had to scramble a bit to play catch-up and get with a teacher who actually made them memorize pieces. When we looked at conservatory, schools of music, etc. - we did do a lot of browsing on the student sections that were public or the announcements of activities (and a lot of that was scarey so don't necessarily recommend it if you aren't a real detail freak). I was so very, very nervous about our dd going away to a state school - and all the things it entails. But honestly, the more we looked, the more it just seemed God gave us peace. Our dd did all the searching in terms of real searching (I just kept desperately searching on the side - hoping we'd find her a really good Catholic college somewhere that we could mention - because I wanted her to know that there were places where there really was support for faithful Catholics). By the time she came to make the decision we really were at peace. I don't know what helped most - but I know some of it was the conversation with her and how she was thinking all the angles through, grounded in reality, and some really thought out plans for short and long term goals. She also had been immersed in music for several years and I watched in utter amazement as her prayer life, her schoolwork and her overall contentment all improved and she blossomed - the busier she was with music, the better her prayer life got. I really couldn't understand it. I was stressed to the max by her schedule but I couldn't deny the truth.
I don't want to say a lot on a public forum, but you are more than willing to PM me - we are not typical of most music performance majors and I can tell you loads of stories (you may not want to get me blabbing - typical southernor, we dawdle in conversation and never in a hurry). Anyways, our dd seems to have this uncanny ability to climb up from behind. The other thing is keeping a really steady focus - her self worth is not tied up in whether or not she makes it as a major performer, but whether or not she uses her gifts and talents to give glory to God. She is not a superstar but she is an awesome worker and a tenacious striver. She learns quickly - very quickly, but we live in the weakest region in the nation for music and she was not an early superstar. She did save up mega bucks for a music camp last summer (worked some really long hours for a Jewish synagogue that paid well, another church job and tons of accompanying and raided her grand piano fund where she has been setting aside whatever she can save for years) and flew across the nation to attend - only person there from our region. She learned more in 3 weeks there than in 4 years here. Oh, and we still only have an upright at home, the same one we got used when she started lessons at 9. She dreams of owning a grand once she settles somewhere - and she has a savings fund that she drops whatever she can into for that purpose (Of course she has access to grands at college so it isn't a huge deal). That may end up being used for grad school instead.
We also live in a region where science is god - really, and lots of folks looked askance at even considering music - no job security there, starving artists. What could you possibly do with music is the most common question she had to field - and mostly the real underlying question was what could you possibly do that will pay the bills. Because she got so involved here in so many different music things, she began to get a feel for a wider range of what you can do. It just was so, hit you in the face obvious that this was what she needed to develop - and honestly, we were too ignorant to know a lot of things. I just assumed that she had an interest and a talent - that these were God-given coupled with her loving the hard work involved in getting better and well, of course, you shoot for the stars. She is having to move there one step at a time. She is certainly humbled and awed by the talent and well aware of where she stands in comparison. She loves being in the midst of that - and how it makes her want to work even harder.
I was also so totally surprised at how dd actually wrote to professors and arranged lessons all over the country to try and get to where she needs to be, to get a feel for what else is out there in the rest of the country and where she realistically stands - sometimes it has been tough, but she needed to know the truth and there have been some real jewels who gave her some real help in both knowing what she needed, and where she might get it even while being directly honest about her chances of getting in at their school. She has been saddened and temporarily discouraged at times - but never defeated. She always comes back up determined to climb over the next challenge - and totally determined, but also at peace regardless of the outcome.
Oh, and I'm sure you know that schools of music publish their audition requirements on-line. (I'm glad dd know that because I really hadn't a clue when she went through this process). I'm the mom who thought orchestra tuning up was so very beautiful and embarrassed poor dd to death. (I have gotten better in that regards - 
Janet
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Willa
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Joined: Jan 28 2005
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| Posted: Jan 15 2010 at 2:05pm | IP Logged
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MarilynW wrote:
I was thinking of starting a series of posts - not sure anyone would be interested in joining in.
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I am interested!
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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4Real Forums : High School Years and Beyond
Topic: High School series - anyone?
