The Family That Plays Together

1.In the backwoods of Maine, a mother and her children wait outside their home for their father’s return from work.

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2. Once their father is home, the familt’s musical ensemble is complete.

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3.Sixteen-year-old Nick plays the viola; 13-year-old Zack is on the cello, and 12-year-old Bryanna plays the violin.

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4.Their mother, Whitney, runs the show.

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5.their father , Shawn , is the teacher, Shawn, is the teacher, conductor, and arranger.

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6.But the star of the family ensemble is 6-year-old Noah, who plays the piano.

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7.And he doesn’t even read music yet! Shawn believes that most children are now doing.

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8.He has a good reason to believe that.

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9.Four years ago in Chicago, none of his kids played music.

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10.Dinner conversations with his kids were always agonizind.

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11.All the kids talked about were video games.

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12.Both Whitney and Shawn decided it was time for a radical change.

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13.They headed out to the woods of Maine and replaced video  games with musical instruments.

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14.Now is their new surroundings, the kids often play in the woods, bike, swim, build things, and then come back in the and play their musical instruments.

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15.After September 11, Shawn, a computer specialist, worked to help clear the World Trade Center site.

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16.He managed to come home for a charity concert to raise  money for the children of Afghanistan.

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17.The family often performs at concerts around the worid, inclubing the Sydney Opera House in Australla, to raise money for poor countries.

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18.Accordding to Whitney, “[Music is] something that brings so much joy to so many people and it’s something that we can do together….it has brought us together.”

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