Piano Lessons




	WRITE 2 THE HEART Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart" May 15, 2003 Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator@write2theheart.com ----------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to your latest issue of "Write 2 the Heart" You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription or a friend generously forwarded their copy to you. To subscribe send a blank e-mail to subscribe@write2theheart.com. ------------------------------------------------------------ I know from e-mails Maria sent, that her piano was truly a blessing. She found it at a neighbor's yard sale. She has also insinuated that there is a story in the moving of the big heavy piece, maybe one day she will share it with us. ------------------------------------------------------------ Piano Lessons By: Maria Harden ------------------------------------------------------------ As far back as my memory goes, the piano has always held a certain allure for me. I thought it was such a romantic instrument, and my fingers itched to tickle the ivories. For years, the desire lay dormant, but it wasn't until I was an adult in my early forties, that I became the proud owner of an old Mason & Risch upright player piano, circa 1895. Other than the player mechanism having been removed, it had been lovingly cared for over the years. I had the piano tuned and enrolled in adult lessons. At first I was intimidated, but the owner of the music school assured me that he taught many adults, including an eighty-year- old woman. That reassured me somewhat -- I reasoned if she could learn, then so could I. The school had state-of-the-art software, which provided sheet music to any desired song, at any level. After four weeks, I was given a simplified version of the music to "The Heart Will Go On," from the movie, "Titanic." What a thrill it was to play, even at a rudimentary level. Other songs of my choosing followed. This made the lessons infinitely more appealing, and I never got bored. I grew to love the solitude of the piano. It became my escape, my relaxation, and my outlet for expression. Never could I walk by it without stopping for "just a moment" to play something. That moment stretched to an hour, and I got my daily practice in without it ever being a chore. The piano is now such a part of my life, that if a day passes without my piano fix, I feel incomplete. Although the desire and enthusiasm were there, I often chafed at my inability to play well. Some days my mind and fingers segued with each other, and other days they refused to obey. I may have played a piece satisfactorily at home, but when I had my lesson, it was as if my brain had turned to mush and I had never seen a piano before in my life. Moments like these made me think seriously of selling my piano. Even now, three years later, I sometimes despair under the scrutiny of my teacher, who sees all, hears all. It is impossible to conceal any imperfections. Occasionally I surprise myself, and my fingers move on their own accord, hitting the right chords with fluidity and grace. I have no desire to be a performer, being content to play only well enough to satisfy my creative yearnings, but take away my sheet music, and I am totally lost. I also find it distracting to play when accompanied by someone singing, so there go any aspirations of being a lounge entertainer. Besides the technical aspects of music study, I also learned life lessons from the piano. I learned patience. When I realized that becoming an accomplished piano player would not happen overnight, I began to relax and enjoy the musical ride. Learning at my own pace relieved me of external pressures, since I knew I wasn't going to be taking exams or performing in recitals. I learned perseverance. Determined not to give up, I took lessons year round, even during the summer. I learned math skills. The notational system requires instant mental calculations based on the notes on the staff, and the different time beats have to be played accordingly. I have a love- hate relationship with the metronome and some days could quite cheerfully throw it out the window. I learned mental concentration. My memory improved, even on the days my fingers had amnesia. I learned self-discipline. Repetitive and diligent practice increased my skill and boosted my self-esteem. I learned to multi-task. Simultaneous movement of several body parts, such as eye-hand coordination and foot pedaling, had to be synchronized with note reading. I learned to really listen. I developed an appreciation for the extraordinary compositions of the great masters of classical music. A few times, I heard discordance in a piece I was playing, which was a printing error in my music book. It's amazing what the absence of a required sharp or flat can do to a composition. Piano study has become an achievable goal. Even a few minutes of playing each day nourishes my mind and spirit, and I feel more prepared to tackle whatever the day has in store. My passion for learning sustains me as I face the music and believe that adults, too, can learn how to play. I strive to achieve inner harmony from playing fluently and passionately. That is the dream that sustains me. Perhaps I won't sell the piano after all. Maria Harden ©2002 mharden @ escape.ca You are encouraged to write to the authors to let them know what you think of their story, just remember to remove the space before and after the @ symbol. The space is placed in the address to protect our writers from viruses and email harvesting programs. Have a comment on today's story? Send it to: moderator@write2theheart.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- Maria lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, with her husband and cat. Many of her stories can be found in the Write 2 the Heart archives. After the wonderful chocolate recipes she sent, I suspect she is a good cook also. -------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- Letters From Our Readers -------------------------------------------------------------- Hey Cheryl, Just want you to know how much I enjoy this site. The stories are so comforting. I especially liked the "The Memory Bracelet" by Diane. My daughter just buried her husband a couple of weeks ago. This has really been a tough time for all of us but we are trusting in God to see us through. He was a loving father to both his children. Devin is nine, so he understands what has happened and seems to be handling it well, but Chloe, the two year old still sings songs about her daddy coming back. Since she is so young I had been trying to think of a way to keep his memory alive for her. I think I'll start her a charm bracelet now with his picture in a heart and give it to her when she is older. I'm sure it will be a treasure she can pass on to her daughter one day. Please remember Shannon and the children in your prayers. Love, Linda Hello, Diane, Thanks for a neat story. I appreciate your articles. Thank you. I hope you and the family will have a safe trip and an enjoyable one. God bless you, Beauty --------------------------------------------------------------- Military Prayer Reminder --------------------------------------------------------------- As you read over this list of names, please take that moment to pray for these young people and their families: Chris Speir Tim Speir Alan Thaddeaus Howard Todd Holland Graham William Julie Sagel Jessie Marshal Thompson Jason Eric Hernandez Kristin Danielson Ken Prieur Please continue to pray for our country, our leaders, and our troops at this time. If you have loved ones in the military, or who are being called to go overseas, send their names (first and last or first only) to be included in our prayer reminder. --------------------------------------------------------------- Chocolate Alert! I know that got your attention! I am working on a chocolate cookbook to be given away on Write 2 the Heart's web site. This work in progress is tentatively called "Write 2 the Heart of the Chocolate Lover." Anyone who would like to join in the delicious fun, send a chocolate recipe with a brief bio to be included after each recipe. Send as many as you wish. --------------------------------------------------------------- Cheryl's Corner Have you ever tried to put up a shelf by yourself? How hard can that be? When it is fourteen inches from the ceiling in the garage and there are "things" in your way, it sure becomes a test on how well you can keep your anger in check. Every time I got up on the ladder, I dropped every necessary component several times. Then the cordless drill needed charging. I decided that doing laundry would be more fun. I persevered; I now have a wonderful twelve- foot shelf to store tackle boxes, life jackets, and other fishing items out of the way. If I had the energy to move twenty years worth of National Geographic, I could find all of the screws I lost. Oh dear, I just gave my husband an opening to tease me about losing the loose screw I have been accused of having. God Bless, Cheryl ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- © 2003 Write 2 the Heart Nothing may be reproduced or published without the written permission of the individual author or copyright owner. All rights belong to the authors.