I have to confess - I really didn't like attending piano recitals before my own children began lessons. But now - it brings tears to my eyes. I know the pieces being performed. I know the trouble spots. I know how much practice it probably took each student to master what they are performing. I know how many collective practice hours are represented, I know the occasional attitudes kids get about taking piano, and I know the joy making music can bring to a family and a parent/child relationship. I know how good it is for kids to study music - the brain, the memory, the fine motor skills, the soul, are all enriched. I know what it means to appreciate an outstanding and nurturing piano teacher who has taken them from Hot Cross Buns and Twinkles to Mozart. I know how thrilling it is when a child first plays an Alberti bass in the left hand with a melody in the right. I suspect I will be struck with the same feeling when that child learns to drive a car or fly an airplane.
These performances were over a month ago, but I am as proud of these kids as ever. Each one had a bobble or two, but overall - victories.
