A new piano student started with me this week. She came to the door all smiles and bubbly. Her palms might have even been a little sweaty. She reminded me of myself on my first day of piano lessons. This student was so eager to learn piano that she called me up herself and set up her lesson times. Well, I guess that's not so remarkable considering she's 36-years-old and has been setting her own schedule for quite some time. She told me that learning piano is less of a New Year's resolution, and more of a "Bucket List" item for her. She wanted to learn as a child, but never had the chance. Now, she has a piano in her home and wants to learn how to make music with it. She chose me to help her with her bucket list. I am thrilled. She's my first beginner adult piano student. She claims to know nothing about piano or music. Of course, we discovered that yes, indeed, she does know a few things. We looked inside my baby grand, talked about different types of pianos and music and styles of playing and learning. We talked about how music is a connector and that music evokes emotion and memory - which led us to the topic of Alzheimer's and how someone suffering from memory loss can sing all the words to Amazing Grace but not recognize their own daughter when she walks in the room.
Thank you, God, for the gift of music and it's healing and connecting powers.
My new student was a little shy about being an older learner. When she walked in, a 5th grade boy was pounding out one of his favorite pieces, a Spanish dance, that he says he's "addicted to." How fun is that! And, he's already claimed it as one of his spring recital pieces. My new student looked at him and said, "One day I'll be playing like that."
I said, "It will be sooner than you think." I want to reassure her that any time is a good time to learn something new, and to erase the old idea that older means you should be more advanced in a craft. It's like learning a foreign language. You can't give a philosophical speech if all you can say is "My sock is blue." We are all at different stages. I'm going to a yoga/pilates class. I've gone a few times in the past, very sporadically, so I think of myself as a second semester Kindergartner. I'm not quite to first grade, yet. I can't even lift my legs over my head and not lose balance. I'm a long ways from standing on my head - might never even get there.
So, go ahead, dive into something on your bucket list. Dare to be the Kindergartner in the activity. Those Kindergartners have all the fun. They fling their arms open wide ready to embrace new things and they're hungry to learn.
Go. Create. Inspire!
Journaling Prompt: What's on your bucket list? Write out your list, then pick something to do! My new student has her bucket list on her computer and revisits it now and then.
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