Tickling the Ivories

Both girls take piano lessons.

I always wanted to take piano lessons when I was a kid.  We didn't have a piano. That kind of puts a damper on taking lessons.

So, I knew that my kids would take lessons when they were old enough.  No question.

D&E started lessons when they were 5.  They started with one teacher and we have since changed to another teacher.

Their 1st teacher was nice enough, but we just didn't click.

So, I got the name of the piano teacher that taught 2 teens that attend the same church as us.  They play piano beautifully, so I knew their piano teacher was a good one.

We started with the new piano teacher in the fall of 2010.  And the difference was night and day.  She is absolutely fabulous.  She is just wonderful with the girls and really knows how to get them excited about playing piano.

D is like my Hubby and can play by ear.  She is always just sitting down to play and ends up plunking out all sorts of songs.  She has figured out church songs, pop songs, and even commercials.

Playing the piano comes naturally to D.  Practicing her piano songs does not come naturally.  She would much rather just sit at the piano and play whatever she feels like as opposed to having to sit down and practice what Mrs. R has assigned for the week.

E does not play by ear.

She is always wondering why/how playing piano comes easier for D.  We spend a lot of time talking about how God gives us all different gifts.  And one of D's gifts is music.

It is hard for E to understand.  Especially when she is struggling with a song.  But, she always perseveres and works hard on the song that is troubling her.  I must remember to remind her that is one of her gifts--the gift of perseverance.

While E can't play by ear, she plays extremely well.  She works hard.  She is an excellent piano student in that she is more than happy to sit at the piano and play what has been assigned to her.

Every now and then she will try to plunk out a song or just play freestyle.

E practicing one of her songs today.  She is loving this particular song.  It is called Rockin' On.

It is definitely a song that is stretching her playing abilities.  And like she always does, she is rising to the occasion.  It is a very busy song and keeps her hands moving.

Serious E.  Concentrating on her piano playing.

Because I have never played an instrument and can't read music, it never ceases to amaze me that D&E can watch both lines of music at the same time and move their hands where they're supposed to go at the same time.  My brain hurts just thinking about having to do all that.

Sometimes E grumbles about taking piano.  Even though she really enjoys playing.  I have told her that she needs to take lessons through 6th grade.  I am hoping once she gets that far she will continue on for a bit longer.

I was so proud of her today.  Both girls are practicing songs from "The Sound of Music" for their piano recital in June.  E is playing "My Favorite Things" and D is playing "Do-Re-Mi".

E was practicing first today and all of a sudden I heard her plunking out "Do-Re-Mi". She wasn't looking at the music for that song, but had just hit a couple notes and then continued on with the notes until she had a good chunk of the "do-re-mi-fa-so" part played.

At first she didn't have it completely right, but she kept messing with the notes until she had it figured out.  That was one of the first times she's ever done that.  So proud of her.

This is E playing her song "Rockin' On".  I happened to video her on my phone last week.

potd #85.  E playing piano.  I am so proud of how hard she works at piano.  She is an excellent student and plays really well.