Friday, July 13, 2007

Susan Returns to the Piano

So, this is kind of embarrassing, but one night I was sitting at home and the little Story and Clark piano that sits against the wall in the living room said "Hey Chick. What am I here for?" So, I called Miss Jane, my piano teacher from childhood and she started giving me lessons. I have my lesson right before a very tiny girl with a giant music bag and uneven ponytails. I love her and I would like to keep her, but she loves her parents. She can play the piano better than I can.

I am trying to make my out-of-practice fingers play a song called "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" by Michael Nyman. They are struggling. They hurt and rebel, but they are starting to remember how to play. I admire people who can play the piano very well. I would like to be able to play as well as Bruce Hornsby. My fingers say I've missed my chance, if I ever had one. My piano says thanks for the attention. It hasn't been played regularly in something like 40 years.

Here is a video of that song. It was in the movie, The Piano.

8 comments:

Amanda said...

That is so great, Su! I had a similar desire about two years ago, and bought an old digital piano from a guy in Mountain Brook, which turned out to be almost two octaves shy of a full keyboard (I bought it with much zeal, and little carefulness). I played it for a couple of months, and got discouraged because I really sucked. Lessons would have been a good idea.

That's cool that you get to take from your old piano teacher. Is that weird? Like time travel kind of weird? Best of luck ... may you join the ranks of Mr. Hornsby.

Robert said...

Congrats! Practicing is easy if you have a great piano.

susan said...

Amanda, I'm sorry. That kind of stinks. The lessons are really awesome. It isn't really weird. It isn't really different, actually. My mom chose her as a piano teacher because she thought our personalities would fit together and they still really do. Maybe it's weird that it isn't really different. Except for that my mom doesn't pay. Too bad for me. :-)

Robert, I don't know if my piano is all that great, but it's my very own piano. So, that's great.
My teacher is Amy Davis' mom. Remember her? She's got some really cute children, now.

Su

susan said...

Oh, and I'm just glad they let me listen to Bruce Hornsby. That's about as close as I'm ever gonna get. :-)

Robert said...

Wow! I took from Amy Davis's mom too! Tell her I said hello and that I have a 6 ft grand in my living room now (Kawai). It is literally the best piano I have ever played! I think everyone should buy a motorcycle instead of a car, so they can get a great piano.

Brian T. Murphy said...

I

Love

The

Piano

susan said...

The movie or the instrument? When I play the song from the movie on the instrument, my hands have to go in different directions. They find this difficult.

Brian T. Murphy said...

the instrument.