>The Piano Lesson

>Last year I took Spanish. I got to the point where I knew enough so that I could, if I kept studying and practicing (big if!), teach myself. But I didn’t feel like enrolling in a 4-hour class at the community college—which is some distance from my house—just to take the second year, even though I did enjoy it. But I like learning, and structure is conducive, so I looked for something else I’d always wanted to learn that might be more readily available than a language.

Answer: Piano!

However, the last thing I need is an actual piano, so I got a 76-key Casio keyboard that does all kinds of things I have yet to explore (including imitating a hundred instruments), and looked for a teacher. That was harder than I expected, though, and my keyboard gathered dust until I saw an ad in our local free progressive monthly, eightyone. I recognized the name of the teacher offering lessons as a member of our City-County Democratic Party (it’s not that large a group, so recognition isn’t that surprising) and for the past few months have been spending 45 minutes every other week at her house getting the basics. It’s been great, and despite several cancelled lessons, mostly because of my travels, I feel that I’ve made a lot of progress. Haven’t moved out of the beginner’s book yet, but that will come soon! My lesson was yesterday and because I’d been practicing (New Years Resolution), it went reasonably well. Not quite ready for Carnegie Hall, but not ready to give up either.

About the author

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.

Comments

  1. >Oh! Keep it up. I started playing the cello at 50. Opened up another world to me, and finally, physics became bearable.

  2. >haha…dun giv up, once u cross that mark you’ll nv want 2 giv it up!

    anyway…sorrie 2 b intruding, but i’m here 2 do a little advertising…since youhave decided to play the piano, why don’t you drop by pure music forums and c how u can contribute, help or learn something? its a brand new forum, so there isn’t much, but i assure you that much more music sources will be available very soon. and if you like the forums, please link us and recommend us to ur musician frens!

    it is a brand new forum by musicians for new musicians

    http://www.puremusicforums.tk

    hope 2 c u dere!

    regards,
    rae

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