My singles ward has been asking for volunteers to do family home evening for an assisted living home in our area. On a sudden (and uncharacteristic) whim of charity and service that could only happen during a relief society lesson, i signed us up to do it. Obviously my judgment was clouded by churchiness that day because i delegated myself as the pianist! A couple nights ago, my roommates and cruised over to the Bel-Aire center (sounds swanky, doesn't it?) to entertain some old folks for a bit. I was sooo embarrassed by my lack of piano playing skills. I could only play a handful of hymns and the ones i thought i knew i ended up butchering so badly.
This is NOT one of those confessions that mothers long to hear their children make. You know the ones i speak of. They go something like this: "oh i WISH i would have kept playing the _______ (fill in the blank) like you wanted me to. I really should have listened to you..." My mom might die of satisfaction if she heard those words out of my mouth. The reason I'm frustrated about my lack of current piano proficiency is not because I wish I had practiced more or kept playing into my later high school years, but rather my frustration stems from the fact that I haven't had an opportunity to play in the last few years. I will admit that i was fed up with having piano forced on me from age 6-15, and that after i was granted amnesty from the ivories, i had some teenage and maybe even early adulthood angst towards the instrument. However, now that i am a mature young woman, i recognize the importance of continued involvement in music. In the last 5-6 years, if i had a piano readily available, I would have found time to utilize it at least once or twice a week. In fact, last year my roommate Camille had a way professional keyboard, and i played it quite frequently. I've even been known to stay late after church to brush up on songs.
I don't want this post to turn into a strongly opinionated statement; I'm not yet a mother. I honestly don't have an official stand on whether or not my future children will be forced into a musical venture they don't see profit in, because I realize I may have to eat my words someday. However, I would like to encourage them to seek various musical arts and give them opportunities to explore their talents. My sister and her husband have done a fantastic job of this in their home, as evidenced by these photos I took last Thanksgiving:
This last photo more accurately depicts my own sentiments on the subject:
No comments:
Post a Comment