Claire has decided to get in on the Christmas music action. I think that most of you know I don't believe in pushing Claire in any one direction for her happiness, and that I've never encouraged her interest in music more than, say, her interest in scotch tape crafts or stuffed animals. But, it's been increasingly hard to deny the fact that the kid wakes up singing and sings made-up songs all day long. She's started telling me recently about songs she's been writing and when I ask her to sing them for me they're pretty good.

So I decided to "book" a studio date with her as an outing for us yesterday. She's told me many times that she loves coming to work with me and I think that it's because she likes the feeling of being around instruments and a recording studio. So I thought she'd get a kick out of being the musician for the day and I was right. Her favorite part by far was being in the isolation booth tracking her vocals. Only I couldn't see her through the glass because she was too short. Pretty funny.

This is all her composition. Some of the lyrics were written in her head in advance but a lot were dictated to me once we got to the studio, freestyle. She played the glockenspiel and triangle as well and chose the instrumentation she wanted (piano, guitar and trumpet). It's amazing how decisive and opinionated she was about arranging and mixing choices. She really honed in and knew exactly what she did and didn't want, and wasn't afraid to tell me.

A PERFECT PLACE

A Perfect Place

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I know of a perfect place

But around Christmas it's better than ever

But I can almost not believe how perfect it is around Christmas

Where the children are so playful and the snow is clear white

Where the Christmas trees are always spring green

Where we're opening gifts and we're caring for each other

Eating very good foods around the table and all