My mother-in-law, Linda, teaches piano. Every January she holds an After-Christmas Party for her students and their families where the students perform a few Christmas songs. Nothing fancy or truly a recital, just a fun time to socialize, eat lots of holiday food and listen to the kids play.
My sister-in-law Marie and I often help with the set up and stay during the party to help with coffee and punch, and keep the food table stocked. Marie and I have both played piano since early grade school, and while I'm not too shabby, Marie is much better than I. So it never fails that Marie and I are asked to play at the piano parties as well. While that is a great compliment, and I would like to share my favorite pieces, I am always hesitant to play at the piano parties; I'm don't want it to seem like I'm showing off or up-staging the students, and each year I dread being asked to play.
But this year the realization hit me: There is no reason for me to be ashamed or apologetic of my musical ability.
I have been playing piano more than twice as long as most of these kids have been alive (oh God, that makes me feel old), and while I was taking lessons I practiced more diligently than 98% percent of these students do. Don't get me wrong, no orchestra will ever request me to be their concert pianist, nor will I be offered any record deals. But I have worked hard to be able to play as well as I do, and there is nothing wrong with displaying the results of such hard work and dedication. Besides, I have fun playing piano. Perhaps me playing at the piano parties will show the students the results of hard work, and actually practicing.
(Side-note: Why does it seem that today's piano students believe that they should be able to simply sit down at a piano and automatically know how to play? What? Work? Yes, you really do need to practice. Unless your last name is Mozart or Tsung, the presumption that you can just sit down and perfectly sight-read a Rachmaninoff concerto is absurd. And I can guarantee that Mozart, Rachmaninoff, and little Tsung practice.)
(Continuing the tangent: If a student truly does want to learn how to play the piano, then they need to suck it up and practice. If a student is just taking lessons because their parent is making them and they really do not like nor want to play piano, then perhaps it is time for the parent to relent and allow their child to take up another hobby that they do enjoy. Just my honest opinion.)
With all that said, if I am asked to play a piece or two at the After-Christmas Party, I will pull up the bench and have fun playing.
But I have chosen an Christmas song that none of the students are learning! :)
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
this sure feels like a step backward
Luke's final semester of college begins tomorrow. This is very exciting because he has worked very hard and is very ready to be done, but there is a lot of work to be done in order for him to graduate and commission. His classes are going to be demanding and difficult. This semester Luke wanted a dedicated study space where he can spread out his books and papers, make phone calls, and not be distracted or be distracting.
The best work space has been the dining room table. But since it is the dining room table, Luke had to pack up all his books, papers, laptop, etc to make room for every meal. Another disadvantage of the dining room table is its proximity to the piano room, where Linda teaches piano lessons. The lessons distract Luke's concentration and Luke's phone calls distract the lesson. In addition, when siblings have lessons on the same day, one does homework at the dining room table while the other has a lesson. Now there is competition for space, not to mention the awkwardness. Other times the parents accompany the student and do their own work at the dining room table. Again, competition for space, but there's also the danger of Luke and the parent ending up in a conversation which prevents any and all hope of studying.
The family room is also inconvenient. It is still close to the piano room and does not block the noise from piano lessons. There is no large work space; Luke sits in an arm chair with his laptop on his lap. That basement successfully blocks piano lessons, but there isn't much of a work space there either, and Luke again ends up in a chair or on the sofa with his laptop.
Since this final semester is going to require a lot of focus, organization, and dedication, we decided to clean out the mountain of boxes from the future kitchenette space in the basement and bring my computer desk that has been in my dad's dining room since 2004. It would be the perfect study space: plenty of work room, lots of light, fully separated from piano lessons, and Luke can leave books and papers out for as long as he wants.
Moving the boxes and sorting through the things, junk and stuff took just under a week. It was a good purging project that sent unusable junk to the garbage, unused things to Goodwill, and relocated personal stuff to a new home in the storage room.
Today we moved in the desk. I know my dad is very happy to see it out of his house, and to have full use of his own dining room again. I also am glad that it can once again be put to good use, and I know Luke will appreciate his new study area.
But I am struggling with being happy for Luke and sad for myself. We have been discussing more seriously about what needs to happen to a) build our house this year or b) move into an apartment while it is being constructed. Luke has said very plainly that "we are moving out this year." Which is great, obviously I'm all for it. But today a very large piece of furniture was brought into our temporary living arrangement, which I can't help but feel further solidifies the permanence of living in my in-laws' basement.
The best work space has been the dining room table. But since it is the dining room table, Luke had to pack up all his books, papers, laptop, etc to make room for every meal. Another disadvantage of the dining room table is its proximity to the piano room, where Linda teaches piano lessons. The lessons distract Luke's concentration and Luke's phone calls distract the lesson. In addition, when siblings have lessons on the same day, one does homework at the dining room table while the other has a lesson. Now there is competition for space, not to mention the awkwardness. Other times the parents accompany the student and do their own work at the dining room table. Again, competition for space, but there's also the danger of Luke and the parent ending up in a conversation which prevents any and all hope of studying.
The family room is also inconvenient. It is still close to the piano room and does not block the noise from piano lessons. There is no large work space; Luke sits in an arm chair with his laptop on his lap. That basement successfully blocks piano lessons, but there isn't much of a work space there either, and Luke again ends up in a chair or on the sofa with his laptop.
Since this final semester is going to require a lot of focus, organization, and dedication, we decided to clean out the mountain of boxes from the future kitchenette space in the basement and bring my computer desk that has been in my dad's dining room since 2004. It would be the perfect study space: plenty of work room, lots of light, fully separated from piano lessons, and Luke can leave books and papers out for as long as he wants.
Moving the boxes and sorting through the things, junk and stuff took just under a week. It was a good purging project that sent unusable junk to the garbage, unused things to Goodwill, and relocated personal stuff to a new home in the storage room.
Today we moved in the desk. I know my dad is very happy to see it out of his house, and to have full use of his own dining room again. I also am glad that it can once again be put to good use, and I know Luke will appreciate his new study area.
But I am struggling with being happy for Luke and sad for myself. We have been discussing more seriously about what needs to happen to a) build our house this year or b) move into an apartment while it is being constructed. Luke has said very plainly that "we are moving out this year." Which is great, obviously I'm all for it. But today a very large piece of furniture was brought into our temporary living arrangement, which I can't help but feel further solidifies the permanence of living in my in-laws' basement.
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