I am so proud of my piano students!! I have always been so lucky…having students who not only love the piano and music, but as a side-affect of that love, practice! Playing because you want to and need too, versus because you should or your teachers insists that you do, means that you play the pieces with such lightness and happiness. There is nothing more soul-crushing than being tied to a piano for your strict practice time. I have seen it turn talented, but pushed friends over-board, to the point they don’t want to play and quit. This always makes me so sad and has also made me vow that I will never ever do that to a student of mine!
I know that I have the most wonderful, caring, energetic and dedicated piano teacher, Kristin, who is always there with a thoughtful suggestion and feedback. Kristin had her Holiday piano recital tonight, which is always so much fun and puts me in a cheery mood. I really need it too. I have been feeling so awful…my ribs are constricting my lungs in a white-hot embrace that makes me wish I had no need to breathe. But the music always puts those thoughts on the back-burner. All the pain becomes white noise once my hands hit the black-and-white bed.
I decided to play the classic “I’ll be home for Christmas”. I have a huge holiday music bible which is simple enough to allow me to expand on the melodies. This in the fixed-up Metchosin Community House, a beautiful, expansive room where we used to always have our piano parties. It is fully accessible too, so nice and easy for me to move around.
Kristin generously invited my students along to play, if they so desired. I am teaching Lisa, my EA (educational assistant) from SIDES and her daughter, Emma. It was their first recital, so I could tell there were a bit of butterflies floating around them, but Lisa decided to play a beautiful rendition of “Greensleeves”.
I was just so proud of Lisa for playing! There is another adult student of Kristin’s, which must have been nice. Usually its just a bunch of kids (the littlest ones are so sweet! I am impressed that their fingers can move with such dexterity!) I hope it encourages some of the older students to take on students as well, because it is the most rewarding job I have ever undertaken. I actually am shocked that I get paid to have so much fun, but I would like eventually to put myself though med school, so I have to save somehow.
After everyone has played their pieces, we all get to chow down on some of Kristins’ famous fruit ‘flan’, more a delicious spongy/flat cake with season fruit a top it. It is all-round a wonderful evening! Can’t wait for Christmas…just a few days. “Will it snow?”- that’s always the big question here. I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…just like the ones I used to know…hmmmm mhhmmhmm…