By: Laine White
When asking people who know him, one word you will hear often to describe 10-year-old John Carter is “kind.” His beaming smile lightens your day from the moment he walks in the room! He is bright and creative, with hopes of a future in video game design or engineering, and music is a true source of fun in his life.
Around a year ago, John’s family began searching for a good place for him to learn to play an instrument. He knew he wanted to get involved in music somehow, and since they already had a piano at home, music lessons felt like the natural choice. After talking with a few friends at Mason Music, he signed up for his very first music class with his teacher, Rachel.
Within a few weeks, he was already blowing through his lessons and practice books. Rachel said she’s never had a student move quite so fast! John is committed to practicing at least 10 minutes every week day, and it’s amazing how much of an impact just a few minutes a day can have on his practice. He said that sometimes it can be hard to work on his hand placement, but his dedication helps him push through tough moments in songs or tricky maneuvers.
Rachel and John make their lessons fun, and incorporate lots of creative strategies into their work together. One of their favorite things to do is come up with musical puns, like “If you don’t practice, you’ll be in treble!” The relationship between a student and a teacher is so important, and John and Rachel have a special friendship. John’s mom recently asked him if he wanted to adjust his lesson time to make his football practices a little more convenient, but he insisted on making his schedule work so he could stay with Rachel. There is nothing that brings us more joy than that.
John likes to play hymns and enjoys playing the songs he sings at church. This year for his recital he played “Holy, Holy, Holy” and his grandmothers both loved getting to hear him play such a special song! He is currently working on “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” He could have a bright future playing music with a worship band!
John is blessed with a wonderful family, and everyone at the Mountain Brook studio enjoys it when they come by to drop him off for his lessons. It’s such an honor when we get to connect with many members of a family, and John’s sister is hopeful that she will take lessons here soon too! We are abundantly grateful to have John and his family as part of our Mountain Brook studio community, and we can’t wait to see what John will do as he grows up.
