Sound Effects

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."
~Pablo Picasso

"My childhood may be over, but that doesn't mean playtime is".
~Ron Olson

"Children have neither past nor future; they enjoy the present, which very few of us do."
~Jean de la Bruyere

“Peter Llewelyn Davies: I still have no idea what to write.
J.M. Barrie: Write about anything. Write about your family, write about the talking whale!
Peter Llewelyn Davies: What whale?
J.M. Barrie: The one that’s trapped in your imagination and desperate to get out.”
~memorable quote from Finding Neverland

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Emilio is seven. About a month ago he was supposed to be having "rest time" but I walked out into the living room and out of nowhere he said, "Ummm Miss Charity, I'd really like it if you'd sit with me here on the couch and we can just practice sound effects for awhile." I was totally caught off guard. I am horrible at sound effects! He was serious. So, I sat with him. And we did sound effects to the pictures in a magazine we were looking through. I was amazed. He had a sound for everything.

The next day I overheard him doing sound effects for a whole hour by himself. And the next day. And I've learned he does it every day. This is his thing.

So, it got me thinking. And I started to see the power of imagination in a little boy's mind right in front of me. So, I've continued to observe and watch and sit and practice with him. He loves to make sound effects. He creates stories and acts them out. Sometimes just sitting with a book. And sometimes with cars/trucks or action figures. Sometimes there is dialogue. Sometimes just sounds. But when he goes there--he goes to a different place. A place that is real to him in the moment.

Note: I didn't grow up in a family with boys. We had three girls. I have lived around little girls before and have seen how God has uniquely wired us as children--and what a blessing that was! And now, this is the other part for me. Love it! I'm learning tons!

Emilio is such a special little boy. He is a mix of many things. One way I would describe him at age seven is "very alive." He has SO MUCH energy. He also feels very deeply. One of our friends, Gioia, describes him as "passionate." Emilio is super affectionate and he'll tell you exactly what he's thinking. He holds nothing back. Many times they are compliments. He is quite the charmer. There is something very free and innocent about him.

I've thought about Emilio's mind. I like to think about things. He is a very visual, imaginative, vocal, and feeling boy. I see how imagination is key for us as humans. It helps spur us on to create. I will write more about him someday. I'm studying the parts of the brain that are connected to visual image, sound, imagination and feeling. It is evident that it is quite active throughout Emilio's being.

My favorite movie ever is "Finding Neverland." I'm starting to understand why as I get to know Emilio better. He has offered me answers, caused me to ask questions, and showed me the beauty and power of the imagination in a child. He encourages me to create.

Here are a few clips of Emilio's sound effects. Someday I'll post a video of me doing sound effects with him since I'm getting plenty of practice in these days! I'm refining my skills!









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