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Pounding away at piano lessons
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___ My mind is reeling with simple, four- and five-note melodies. Regardless of how hard I try, I just can’t get these songs out of my head.
___Listening to your children practice the piano sometimes feels like the parental version of hearing "Feelings" on the radio. As much as you’d like to forget the tune, it’s stuck in your head.
___It’s so bad that last Sunday at church, as I was standing outside the boys’ Sunday School room, I heard another
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MARK WINGFIELD
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child somewhere in the distance playing one of the same beginner songs on the piano. I immediately recognized it.
___Not much help on "Name that Tune," but a meaningful parenting skill nonetheless. When I told the boys later in the day what I had heard, they were extemely impressed.
___ "Water Lillies" is a top 40 hit at our house.
___ Since Alison and I both play the piano, we’ve both taken a strong interest in igniting a musical passion in our children. And, thank goodness, beginner piano literature has come a long way from where we each began.
___ But from an adult vantage point, it still helps you put things in perspective. Both our boys are thrilled with themselves when they learn the simplest of songs. Just the act of being able to play an actual "song" on the piano makes them think they’re ready for Carnegie Hall. (Of course, low self-esteem never has been a threat in our family either.)
___ It’s too bad other endeavors in life don’t bring the immediate reward and satisfaction that learning to play the piano does. Knowing something of the hard work that lies ahead, though, it’s probably a good thing there’s some positive reinforcement coming early.
___ Beethoven and Mozart are lurking somewhere in the distance. Hopefully, they’ll help me get "Water Lillies" out of my head.
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__My current recurring tune is the "Knock Knock Joke" where the music is interrupted with knocking on the piano (in rhythm, of course). When Garrett first learned this, I did the knocking, so now when it creeps into my mind, I automatically have my hand up to knock at the appropriate time.
__Our hope is that the boys have begun a lifelong journey of appreciating and participating in music. The deal with them is that if they want to play any other musical instrument, they
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ALISON WINGFIELD
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have to start with piano.Since we both play, we’re a bit prejudiced, but it does give them a good grounding for anything else they might want to do in music.
__Let’s hope they stick with piano for awhile, because Luke’s desired instrument is the trumpet and Garrett wants to play the drums. And to think we had a basement before moving to Dallas. Now we might have to add a sound-proof room if they move to those instruments.
__ So far we’ve been pleased at the way they have responded to the piano. Naturally, we have our moments of struggle when it is time to practice. But when it comes to doing homework or practicing the piano, they usually choose to practice first--still complaining, of course.
__While the songs are simple, I don’t mind listening to them. It’s a parent thing I guess.
__Compared to elementary band practice, listening to piano practice is a breeze. I was in the school cafeteria recently when the beginning band was practicing, and it was excruciatingly painful. They were learning to count and blow correctly into their various instruments. The director asked them to play one particular note over and over in unison. I heard at least four different pitches among the 10 or so gathered there. It went downhill from there.
__ Thank goodness those band concerts are a few years away for us.
__ God gives us a wonderful creative outlet in music. I hope my children learn to give that creativity back to him in worship. I bet he wouldn’t mind hearing "Water Lillies" one more time.
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| He Said/She Said is a new regular feature of the Baptist Standard's on-line edition. Mark Wingfield is managing editor of the Standard. Alison Wingfield is a freelance writer. The Wingfields moved to Texas in January from Louisville, Ky., where Mark had been editor of the Western Recorder, in which this column appeared weekly. |
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