making friends with the piano

today is piano lesson day...i myself am so glad not to have to take piano lessons anymore (all that practising) that i almost feel sorry for my students. they come in here all tired out from a day at school and then they have to sit at my very tall piano with their feet dangling in the air for another half hour, putting up with my endless talking about dynamics and rhythm and eighth notes or whatever. sometimes i don't think i have any idea what i'm talking about (at the piano lessons i mean...). and i feel so bad for making them play scales and things that i never liked doing, but i guess that's what you do at piano lessons. my favorite times are when students show up and i can actually TELL that they have practised. there are a few students i have who quite consistently show up in this state, and i am so blessed to have them. but then again, it's still only their third lesson of the school year, so the newness hasn't quite worn off yet. check back with me in a few months, and no one will be practising anymore, and no one will be getting any "good job" stickers. mean teacher, you're thinking. i know. i even make them call me mrs. dyck...just kidding.

i actually dusted the piano today and used some furniture polish on it. this is a rare occasion and should be treasured. i also wiped (more like scrubbed on some of them) the keys, which i probably should have saved till after all the kids are done their lessons. without fail, someone shows up with sticky fingers. and it's not me. i love my piano and i wash my hands. being a piano teacher and not a student does have its perks. the best thing is being allowed to play whatever i want whenever i want and never have to practise anything if i don't want to. the weird thing is that sometimes i do want to practise...i've even played scales just for fun (very rarely) but don't tell anyone. i love music more now than i ever did when i was learning. the piano is my friend. that is why i teach, i suppose - so that other people can make friends with the piano.