Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Piano Lessons: To Play or Not to Play the Piano



"To play or not to play the piano?" Suzanne wrestled with that question every single day. It was not what she wanted to do, but her mother insisted that she become a professional pianist.

"Why me? I hate practicing." It was a constant battle with her mother. 

"I am not practicing today," Suzanne screamed at the top of her lungs, as she turned her brand new keyboard off and headed out the door. "I'm playing with my friends today!"

"But Suzanne, your father and I spent a lot of money purchasing that keyboard for you. You need to show some appreciation for it."

"She has such perfect hands for playing piano, because her fingers are so long," her mother said, sadly. "If only she would show some interest in the piano, but she doesn't."  

She didn't realize that her younger daughter, Bridgette, had heard every word she said.

"I would give anything to have piano lessons," thought Bridgette. "Mom, teach me." 

"No, Bridgette, your fingers are much too short to be a professional piano player."

Bridgette looked down at her hands and almost burst into tears. She did have very short fingers and bit her fingernails, too. She hid her hands behind her back, hiding them in shame.

"Just wanting to do something is not always enough," said her mother, who was a gifted, professional pianist.

"But I would practice every day." Bridgette smiled brightly at her mother. "Please, I would try really hard."

"I'll tell you what," replied her mother, giving her a hug. "I will teach you the basics of music, but not how to play the piano."

"Great!" said Bridgette excitedly. "Thank you ever so much!"    

"I will teach myself to play," she decided later, as she sat her room and pretended that she was at the piano keyboard. 

Bridgette did just that and practiced every single day, for hours at a time.

"She will never be a professional pianist," her mother thought, but she found immense joy watching her second daughter learn to do many of the things on the piano keyboard, that her older daughter would never even attempt.        


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