Here's Linda's question for this week:
If you have a child in your life, your calendar for April and May is probably quickly filling up with end-of-year activities - performances, recitals, etc. Did you take lessons as a child? Piano or another instrument? Gymnastics or dance? Other types of lessons? Were they weekly? How much were you required to practice between lessons? Did you participate in recitals? If so, do any of them stand out in your memory? Did they foster a love or a hate for that activity? Did you want to take lessons in a certain thing that you never got to? And if you have kids now, how did your experiences with taking lessons like these impact the activities you had/have them do?
I wish I had more pictures form my childhood so I could scan some in and post them!
Anyway... that's not really the focus for this week, is it?
I took piano lessons for 8 (?) years growing up. I think they were weekly lessons. I enjoyed the piano. I am glad I took piano lessons. It taught me how to read music. I can't imagine not knowing how to read music as much as I can't imagine not knowing how to read. I remember riding my bike to piano lessons and my piano book falling out of the white wicker basket and I ran over it with my bike. I remember riding fast to get away from some dog that decided to chase me. I don't recall any recitals. Seems a bit strange to me now that I didn't participate in recitals. I loved to go in the basement after school when I was in high school and play and sing at the top of my lungs. I bought lots of sheet music of popular music. I was pretty sure I could sing You Light Up My Life as good as Debby Boone. :) (I just watched that YouTube and it's a little scary how well I remember the words...) I would be deathly embarrassed when someone would walk in on me.
I never liked to play in front of other people. The one time I remember I did was for my grandparents' 60 Wedding Anniversary. (My grandma thought I could do anything.) I was about 20. I played a hymn and my cousin sang. We were the youngest and oldest grandchildren. I remember starting to play, the room went quiet, I looked up and clutched. From then on I just stared at the music. Somehow I made it through.
I thought I was pretty decent on the piano until I met my husband. He blew me out of the water. He is an amazing pianist. He can play some Billy Joel and Scott Joplin. He has played for church here for the past almost 9 years. I am so proud of him for using his gift that way.
I think because of both of our backgrounds in piano, we really wanted our kids to learn how to play as well. By God's provision I found a really good piano in the want ads for a steal. Our kids started lessons in 1st and 2nd grades. Caleb took for about 6 years. By the time he was halfway through middle school, he was taking saxophone and guitar lessons as well as piano. We told him he could choose which two instruments and the sax and guitar won out. He's still a decent piano player and awesome on the guitar. (He hasn't played the sax since high school.)
Megan took lessons all the way through high school. Her piano teacher stopped taking students Megan's senior year, but continued with Megan. Megan is as good as her dad. I really can't tell which one is playing but just listening. She plays for her church, too. She also excelled on the trumpet in high school.
Music lessons were big in our house. I actually miss listening to the practicing!
What lessons do I wish I could have taken? Probably voice lessons.
I think because of both of our backgrounds in piano, we really wanted our kids to learn how to play as well. By God's provision I found a really good piano in the want ads for a steal. Our kids started lessons in 1st and 2nd grades. Caleb took for about 6 years. By the time he was halfway through middle school, he was taking saxophone and guitar lessons as well as piano. We told him he could choose which two instruments and the sax and guitar won out. He's still a decent piano player and awesome on the guitar. (He hasn't played the sax since high school.)
Megan took lessons all the way through high school. Her piano teacher stopped taking students Megan's senior year, but continued with Megan. Megan is as good as her dad. I really can't tell which one is playing but just listening. She plays for her church, too. She also excelled on the trumpet in high school.
Music lessons were big in our house. I actually miss listening to the practicing!
What lessons do I wish I could have taken? Probably voice lessons.
9 comments:
What fun memories. I love listening to someone playing the piano. That is so cool that you cannot tell the difference between your daughter and your husband.
until next time... nel
I wish I had been allowed voice lessons. I have a decent voice, but very little control and can't seem to figure out how to control it on my own.
Oh my! You've had a busy time - just caught up with all my blog reading.
Here's the thing, I DID get the voice lessons but didn't have the instrument lessons (there wasn't enough money for lessons until I was about 13/14 and I opted for voice). I really, really, really wish I could play an instrument. It would come in really, really handy. So my girls are learning piano & violin! :)
Neither my husband or I play piano but we both wanted our kids to learn. You never hear anyone say, "Man I wish my parents hadn't made me take lessons!" but you do hear a lot of regretful, "I wish I'd stuck with those lessons" comments! So piano was a non-negotiable item. They were allowed to choose a 2nd instrument but only our daughter took us up on that option (cello). I was sad that neither of them had room for the piano when we moved overseas so we found another good deserving home for it :-)
BTW Judy, we've been through Villa Maria once (on our way to Buenos Aires) but it's southeast and we're southwest; it's about 2 hours from us. Are your aunt and uncle missionaries?
I loved reading this. And Debby Boone's You Light Up My Life was a big part of my flashback a few weeks ago! I still know all the words, too! LOL
I was one who wished I could have taken lessons, while my kids had them and wanted to quite. :-)
What musical talent across the board.
I will say I much preferred the lilting tune of my son's classical guitar to the twang and vibration of his electric guitar. His Heavy Metal stage about sent me over the edge.
My daughter is getting better at the violin, we can now actually discern what song she is playing and she is getting better and better with each year. She has decided to continue on with the violin in High school. I do have to share that I love hearing her practice in the afternoon, even if some of the notes are a bit off!
Blessings
R
Such good memories! My husband is really good on the piano too, but he plays only by ear, even though he can read music too.
I don't know if I'm AWESOME on the guitar. I'm not BAD.
Post a Comment