Years of Practice

I was not a good piano student. I never practiced. Well, maybe the day before the lesson. In fact, I was so bad at practicing, I became a great sight reader. I could play whatever my teacher put in front of me for the week. The only problem was that I never got any better at the piece because I didn't practice. I took lessons for at least 12 years. Without practicing, you can't really learn to play.

I ran into my piano teacher when my children were babies. Standing in Walmart while trying to keep track of my two year-old and keep my baby quiet, she asked me if I still played the piano. I almost laughed in her face. Practice? I didn't practice when I had weekly lessons. I have two babies here. I can barely shower and I never sit down. Sit down to practice a piano? Are you nuts? I don't even own a piano. You see, I quit my job, we bought a house we can barely afford, my husband left the firm to work in house and now we have two kids. I can't even afford a piano. So no piano teacher, I don't still play the piano.

I didn't say that but I swear I thought it. She was so sweet when I said no. I felt so guilty.

Skip ahead until last November. I came up with a plan to buy a used piano. I wanted my sons to take piano lessons. I had to have a piano. I would take some birthday money from my parents, sell some large ticket toy items on EBay and buy a used piano off of Craig's List or EBay. My husband thought I was losing it. Who buys a piano off of EBay? I did. Sight unseen. Yep.

Guess what else I bought two weeks ago? My old brand of piano books that I had growing up. I am learning to play piano all over again. I was shocked at how much I remember. I guess I must have practiced at some point. Even if my piano teacher made me play the song 14 times in my 1/2 hour lesson, it must have sunk in because I can play it now.

So Miriam, my old piano teacher, it has taken me years to get here. But, I am finally practicing my piano.