The View From My Fishbowl

Heard at the piano today…

“My hands realize they’re the ones playing the music, and they’re like, ‘Sweet!’” Then they fall asleep and I have to shake them up.”

Spoken like a true first-grader.

And, as a sidenote…I only have 7 more piano lessons until Africa.

My spring recital was tonight, and thankfully everything went well. Some of the students messed up here or there, but overall, I was very proud of them. No pictures, but I might have some video to share at a later date.

I was probably the most nervous person there. My stomach was all tied up in knots. I was nervous for THEM and I wanted them to do a good job. I knew that they (at least most of them) could play their songs perfectly and with such expression, but in front of a crowd of people, it’s a whole different ball game.

This was my favorite song of the evening. I had heard it over a year ago and really liked its simple yet complex tune. One of my girls brought the music in to show me a couple months ago, as she had been learning it from a friend. The next logical conclusion was to turn it into a recital song.

I’ve never liked recitals, but I’m still glad that I had one. I guess you could say that I’m glad it’s over!

My piano student slid onto the bench and plopped his books onto the ledge. Even though we have been meeting for two months, our schedules have been so hectic that we have only met three times. And since I didn’t know him previously, I still feel like he is a new student.

“You know, Miss Rachel,” he lisped, “Sometimes when I meet new people I get all scared that they aren’t going to be friendly to me.” With a shy duck of his head, he didn’t want to meet my eyes. “Then after I meet them and they are my friend, I think of how silly I was to get all scared about something like that.”

“Are you saying that you were scared the first time you met me?” I gave a little smile to the little seven year-old boy.

“Yeah. Well, just a little. But I knew you were nice the first time I saw you.”

Then we proceeded to pound out Middle C in fast succession, confuse D with E, and contemplate the difference between quarter and half notes. It was a good lesson.