Maya's Recital...

Maya has a love/hate relationship with the piano. She loves to play by ear (like the first few bars of the Star Wars theme) and play songs that SHE choses. She hates doing theory, she hates playing the songs that she is assigned to play. And last but not least, she hates that she needs my help when she gets stuck.

Playing the piano is not a skill that comes easily for Maya but she really wants to do it. So we go to bed early on Sunday nights so that we can get out of the door bright and early for her 8:20am piano lessons.

My own piano skills are pretty pathetic. I am more or less self taught. Thanks to my Junior High clarinet playing (I was second chair thank you very much), I have some musical background but that isn't saying much. I can read notes, but my left hand doesn't move as quickly as I'd like it too. I wish I could play more than top hand. I wish I could make Christmas carols and church hymns dance through the air. I try, but instead the songs sound like they are drunk and tripping through the air instead of gracefully dancing.

So...

I will continue to force the practices and listen to the same bar being played over and over and over again.

I will watch piano books fly across the room.

I will be the one who gets yelled at because the piece is too hard.

I will take play dates or snacks away when that happens.

I will quietly listen in the other room ready to praise when she finally masters the tricky parts.

I will sit proudly in the audience while she overcomes her self doubt and plays her piece flawlessly.

And I will watch her take a bow and walk tall back to her seat feeling like a million bucks because she now knows what it feels like to complete a difficult task. Hopefully realizing that hard work and perseverance pays off.

With all that said I am finally I am posting Maya's recital...we'll see if it actually works...

Okay so it didn't work...now try clicking on the link below.

And my video skills aren't that hot because I am still learning about that feature on my camera. But don't worry Maya is only sideways for 5 seconds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJCOnyaoEWI