Waverly started piano lessons today. It feels like a big milestone somehow, but I didn't even take a picture! She has been wanting to learn how to play, and nothing would make me more happy. Music is a hugely important part of my life. I have been blessed in so many ways because I learned to read music when I was young, and I want my children to have the same opportunities.
When I was growing up my parents made us take piano lessons starting when we were 8 years old. I didn't fight it. I wanted to learn to play, but that doesn't mean I ever practiced. And I mean I NEVER PRACTICED. My poor parents must have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on my lessons. My mom spent hours driving me and my siblings to and from our lessons. The least I could have done was put a little effort into it. Sorry, Mom.
Our teacher was a nice lady from our ward who was a very accomplished pianist. Sometimes I feel so bad for her that she had to face a 1/2 hour with me every Wednesday - knowing full well I hadn't touched a piano since the previous Wednesday. What a waste of her time! I guess one positive thing that came from this is that I became a decent sight-reader. I tried my darndest to play the assigned piece for her even the tiniest bit better than I had the previous week to try to pretend I was improving. She was never fooled. She was a smart woman. And I was a bad liar.
She had an asian wall hanging just above the piano where I sat for lessons. I think one of her kids brought it back from a mission. Instead of listening to her I would sit and try to memorize the pattern made by the embroidered characters. (I was such a loser!) It was red and blue and gold and I think she said it meant something like "Good Luck". Yah, I could have used some of that: every Wednesday at 4:00!
Waverly came right home from her lesson and practiced just as she was assigned to do. She has a good ear and fine-motor skills. I just hope her enthusiasm continues. I don't know if I have the patience my mother had with me.
10 comments:
For my birthday last year my mom gave me piano lessons. Twenty-eight taking piano lessons again. I thought I wanted to take them and was very excited, but I never practiced when I was a kid, what made me think I would now. Am I more mature? Do I have more time? Am I more appreciative and respectful of others' time? Nope! Good luck. I hope W will fall in love with it.
I love it! Good for Waverly! and good for you Mom.
I think music is sooo important.
Waverly will be all the better for it. *Grin*
by the by... Ethan is three now, & Hippotherapy that Crew & Ethan do.. comes from the latin word for horse, hippo.
Don't fret, I never knew that either, and I was determined to NOT let my son on a hippo! *chuckle*
Thanks for being you, Suz.
Yeah for Mom and Yeah for daughter! I am all for music lessons-- that is great she is so enthusiastic about it. I sure hope one of my girls will be someday.
I'm trying to figure out which piano teacher you are referring to. There were about 3 or 4 over the years. I know it's not the Buddhist who was afraid of limbs falling on her son's head during windy weather so was it in St. Louis or Cape G? You play pretty well for someone who never practised. Oh, hope springs eternal in a mother's heart! What might you have done if you HAD practised?
Sister B., of course! I didn't take lessons in Cape G. and I don't count the Buddist lady as my piano teacher. - such a short-lived experience. I just remember feeling very weird and out-of-place in her house. And scared that my dirty, grimy teenage hands would soil her precious piano. No, no... Siter B. was very sweet and eternally patient. And her house always smelled like a crock pot. Hmm.
Elliot takes piano lessons, and it is so dang expensive that I make sure he practices. I'm a mean mom, but he's getting good.
I still play the piano for pleasure (as opposed to the torture it used to be). Many women in our ward are shocked to learn that I play.
Mike, Why would they be surprised? You are such a renaissance man.
It's funny because now when I see that piano teacher (once every 7 years or so) I have to resist the urge to tell her how grateful I am that I can read and play music and it is all thanks to her and that I still play here and there and stuff... I hope Big W loves it as much as I did (sans practicing, of course)...
I also had the love/hate relationship with piano. Once Sister B. and I established that I wasn't going to practice, we just made sure my lesson time was a super intense, pack it all in practice session. What could have been...
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