Piano Recital

Talmage and Everett have been taking piano lessons for a few years now. Dr. Margot shows up to our house every Monday afternoon and has done a beautiful job encouraging and improving their musical abilities--even when she's met with little tyrants!

Ev is still lukewarm to the whole situation if I'm being honest; he's easily discouraged and learning new piano skills can be quite tricky at times. Dr. Margot keeps a bowl of popcorn on the dining room table and every time he plays a full song or stays positive through practice she rewards his good behavior with a little treat. He really is the cutest puppy, and she a seasoned trainer. He is learning resilience and patience and when he masters a new song, pride. I loved the shy smile that spread across his face last week at the piano recital when he perfectly played "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" and then took a bow.

T is our enthusiastic musician, mostly because he loves calming his jittery fingers on the keys. He practices formally every day, but he also dinks on the keys in between homework assignments, on his way from the dining table to the kitchen and when he's bored, so basically, the piano is constantly being played in our home. I think Dr. Margot would give him 100 treats if it meant he'd listen to her during practice instead of playing new songs or combinations of notes out of turn, but he's so positive and excited about all things piano that both of us are at a loss! He played a few songs at the recital, but the Hymn book version of "I am a child of God" gave him the most grief. He kept telling me that this was a Level 7 song, which is a BIG deal for him, but it sounded beautiful and I was so impressed.

Piano lessons are a gift I am grateful to give my children and their advancements bring me so much joy. Someday I hope to join them in lessons, but for now I'm just so happy they're bringing music into our home.