| As the back to school flyers pour in and I visually | | | | from breathless frustration.As the burly piano movers |
| digest the crisp images of mechanical pencils and | | | | heaved the massive antique into place, one of them |
| Shrek lunch boxes, I am compelled to seek out new | | | | wheezed, “Someone had better learn to play |
| learning opportunities to make the rainy dying days of | | | | this thing.” Though I was down with a |
| summer a smooth transition into winter.Between | | | | gawdawful flu the day the piano arrived, I played it for |
| Toastmasters Club, community orchestras, night | | | | hours at a time, ignoring my 39-degree fever and |
| classes at the local community college and a botched | | | | laryngitis.I started with the basics: “Twinkle |
| attempt at learning saxophone five autumns past, I | | | | Twinkle” and “Mary had a Little |
| have realised my school-aged programming has left a | | | | Lamb.” Ok, I have no pride.I found the whole |
| permanent impression: I see brown leaves and I run for | | | | “two hand, two clef” concept a bit of a |
| the nearest sign-up sheet.I decided this year, after | | | | hurdle, like severing one half of my brain from the |
| having delved into expensive hobbies and projects | | | | other then asking them to co-operate. After three |
| started and soon abandoned, to limit my fall learning | | | | days of inspired practice (and cold leftovers for dinner) |
| frenzies to those activities which are affordable, work | | | | things seemed to click and other songs flowed more |
| well with my busy life as a wife and mother and which | | | | easily.I've discovered I'm really good at this, a real |
| I am sure I will stick to long-term.So I went out and | | | | natural! I play a wicked two-handed “Chicken |
| bought a piano.Affordable? Not really. It set us back | | | | Dance” and I'm pretty solid at the first page of |
| from buying a new couch, but as I explained to my | | | | Beethoven's “Moonlight” Sonata. Ok, |
| loved ones that if you dexterously avoid the gaping | | | | fifteen years of violin playing and a college music |
| holes and sharp jutting springs, the existing couch really | | | | education probably has something to do with that, but |
| is quite comfortable.Non-intrusive to family life? The | | | | let me dream!In the past learning a new instrument, or |
| thing takes up half of my living room and almost all of | | | | anything new for that matter, was unbearably |
| my attention, resulting in several burned suppers, | | | | frustrating because didn't like feeling like a |
| neglected piles of dishes and ignored phone calls. | | | | “beginner” and set unachievable goals. I |
| Things of little importance when I am immersed in a | | | | enjoy playing piano far too much to wreck it with guilt |
| snappy rendition of “Polly Wolly | | | | or self-doubt, so I am softening my expectations and |
| Doodle.”Which leads to the last criteria: Will I | | | | have surrendered to my vulnerability in starting over |
| stick with it long-term? You betcha!To be honest, I did | | | | again. This humbling experience has gained me far |
| not expect this new musical venture to be this | | | | more respect for my students who, like me, are |
| successful. I've always wanted a piano in my home; | | | | beginners in an instrument.It feels like I'm back in school |
| my German heritage nagging, “it's not home | | | | again with all the other kids, learning and growing with |
| unless it's got a piano.” As a violinist and violin | | | | my mechanical pencil and lunch box, singing |
| junkie I've never much cared for piano music (I know I'll | | | | “Poll-y Woll-y Doo-dle all the |
| get heat from my piano-playing colleagues for that | | | | Day!”**Rhiannon Schmitt (nee Nachbaur) is a |
| one).I figured I'd noodle around on it here and there, | | | | professional violinist and music teacher who has |
| waiting until my preschool-aged son was taking | | | | enjoyed creative writing for years. She writes for two |
| lessons for it to be studied on, as my past ventures in | | | | Canadian publications and Australia's "Music Teacher |
| new instruments (saxophone, bagpipes and other | | | | Magazine. |
| instruments that require air) resulted in me me giving up | | | | |