Piano Lessons



Claire's first keyboard



I took piano lessons for nearly 10 years when I was a child.  When it came time for Claire to begin learning music, it seemed only natural that I should be her instructor.  After all, I'm teaching her reading, math, history, art, science, geography, literature, etc.  Piano shouldn't be any different?

Well, it WAS different.  Yes, I could teach her how to play notes, but I began to realize that for some people, music is much more than just playing the correct notes.  That is all it has ever been, (and probably will ever be), for me.  I don't have a deep love for music.  I decided that I wanted her to learn more than just the notes.

I discovered that the musician who gave me lessons still teaches only 1 mile away and at a very affordable cost.  She is the exact type of teacher I wanted.  She has music in her heart.  When she plays or even just talks about music, it simply pours out.  My lessons were inevitably tedious, means to an end.  

I don't know that a person can be taught to love something like music?  I believe, to a certain extent, that it is a gift bestowed at birth.  However, I do think it is possible to squelch that gift.  I recognized early that I was dangerously capable of doing just that. 

 It is hard to tell whether music is more than just a grouping of notes for Claire.  If I had to guess, I would say that at this point, she sees learning to play piano as simply a handy thing to add to her "list of things I can do."  However, if there is some deeply buried musical gift, Mrs. Murray is certain to dig it up.