OSMOND — Playing the violin is not easy.
It can be one of the most difficult instruments to play.
There are many technical aspects to master — including finger positions and movements, bowing techniques, scales and reading music. Players must find the right notes on the fingerboard by touch.
Over the course of the past four years, Owen, Louis, Gus and Tom Meuret have spent countless hours learning how to play.
The homeschooled sons of James and Michelle Meuret of Brunswick practice one hour each day except for holidays over Zoom.
Owen Meuret, age 12, has been playing the violin for four years. Louis Meuret, age 10, and Gus Meuret, age 8, have been playing the violin for three years. Four-year-old Tom Meuret began his violin lessons a few months ago.
As the boys improve, they take in-person lessons once a month in Omaha.
Tom, Owen, Louis and Gus Meuret of Brunswick perform during the Sons of the American Legion Christmas Wishes program Sunday night at the Osmond City Auditorium.
The Meurets also perform at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, farmers markets and small-town events. In addition, they perform at the Durham Heritage Museum in Omaha during the Christmas season.
On Sunday night, the Meurets were the headline entertainment at the annual Sons of the American Legion Christmas Wishes program at the Osmond City Auditorium. The boys also performed at The Evergreen Assisted Living Residence in O’Neill on Saturday.
“It makes people happy and I like it,” second grader Gus Meuret said.
The boys performed a lot of holiday songs — such as “Silent Night,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Away in a Manger” among other titles — for 35 minutes in front of the attendees of the Christmas Wishes program.
The boys received a standing ovation at the conclusion of the performance.
Louis Meuret, a fifth grader, broadened his musical talents about four months ago. That is when he started learning how to play the cello. His mom wanted a cello player in the family.
“The cello is really different because it’s a lot bigger,” Louis Meuret said. “It is hard to switch from violin to cello. I wanted a bigger challenge.”
The oldest son, Owen, a seventh grader, is the most seasoned violin player. The boys use the Suzuki studies — a curriculum and teaching method created by Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki — to master their craft. There are 10 books to the curriculum.
“It was really hard at first, but after four years of practice, things just click,” Owen Meuret said.
Tom, a preschooler, enjoys playing “Pop Goes to Weasel.” That song also was played during the Christmas Wishes program. It is the only song Tom knows how to play after just a couple of months playing the violin.
“He likes plucking the string,” Owen Meuret said.
The hard work and dedication of the four boys make their parents proud. Neither James nor Michelle had ever played violin.
“My husband James’ family does a lot of violin and cello,” Michelle said. “With COVID, everything was going virtual. We had a family member who went online and asked if we would try. We tried virtual Zoom violin classes.”
Now 4½ years later, they have a family of violin players.
“They work really hard,” James said. “They appear to be naturally talented, but I think that takes away from the amount of work they put in to get to where they are at. People see the personal hard work, some tears and a lot of frustration.”
The Meuret Boys were not the only ones providing music at this year’s Christmas Wishes event. The Osmond band, under the direction of Vanessa Steinkraus, performed Christmas songs. A video tribute of veterans who died in 2024 also was shown.
The Christmas Wishes event is a fundraiser to help less fortunate people at Christmastime.
