Saturday, December 02, 2006

Forgotten Pastimes & Pleasures

As a kid, I learned to play the piano. I stayed at it for several years, never becoming good but maybe average at best. The old second-hand upright piano was abandoned when I went away to college, and I didn’t lay hands on a piano until about 20 years later. When a friend of Bill’s moved into a condo, he gave us a console piano with a bench full of sheet music. From time to time I’ll sit down at the piano and slowly some of what I remember will come back. I even have periods when I’ll practice. Over the years, I’ve added a few music books in an effort to find pieces I once played. I even taught Scott the first part of Jingle Bells.

As luck would have it though, the old piano has found new life but not from me. One of Scott’s friends from Booker T. Washington Magnet School is a talented musician. He will sit down with no music before him and launch into his own renditions of jazz standards, flowing from one to another without stopping. The last time, he played Somewhere Over the Rainbow and a version of Autumn Leaves. Yes, I once played these classics but not like Joel does. And yet, I keep at it. Never expecting to be grand or make a living. It’s just a nearly forgotten pleasure.

Christmas Countdown --–– 23 days

12 comments:

Sheila said...

Thanks, Armen, for the link to the story about Christmas music. I'm all for free.

Newscoma said...

Glad to know about the free Christmas sheet music.
Piano playing nieces will love this.

Marion said...

I love piano music. When I was a child, I begged for lessons, but it was not to be.

Now my granddaughter plays the piano for me. Autumn Leaves...I'm going to ask her to learn that one...it's a favourite of mine for sure.

I think it must be a very peaceful pastime. You've almost convinced me to take lessons now...if I could find a place for a piano in my house, lol!

Sheila said...

Glad you stopped by newscoma and I hope your nieces can find some pieces they like. I always loved going to the music store to find something current.

Marion, Regis Philbin can learn to play the piano, I don't know why you couldn't if you wanted to. Glad your granddaughter plays for you.

Rosemary said...

Today's electronic keyboards are small, and you can learn a lot from playing them, Marion, if you really have a mind to.

We kept our piano until our granddaughters were about 5. Then we sent the piano to my daughter, hoping maybe she would find the time for them to take lessons. I taught them how to play "Frere Jacques," and they loved it, and she is reviving some of her playing skills. So far, all my offers to pay for the piano lessons have gone unheeded. There's only so much a grandma can do. They're 9 now, and into gymnastics, and brother has basketball practice, so Mama just doesn't have time for another round of lessons to chauffeur everyone to, but I can wish, can't I?

Sheila said...

DB, I can understand your daughter's reluctance to take on more lessons, but I wished my sons had taken piano lessons. Instead, they pretty much focused on baseball and scouts, neglecting the musicial side. They, however, both seem to love all sorts of music. Well, not so much country.

Anonymous said...

I rediscovered a youthful pleasure of mine a few years ago: bike riding. I adored it as a kid and now have the same great time that I used to. It's great to unearth old loves like that!

Sheila said...

rhea, I think we sometimes get stuck in routines that we forget those things which once gave us pleasure. You are right! I remember my grandfather taught me to ride my bike. I have one sitting in the garage waiting for one of those days to give it another shot. Afterall, you never. . . well, we all know the rest.

Unknown said...

My parents started my brother and I in piano lessons when I was in 2nd grade and while my brother stopped playing because it wasn't cool for a boy to play the piano...I contined for the rest of my life! You should hear him play the guitar and sing though! I would love to hear him do a duet with Dolly Parton. He has the same warble in his voice that she has. I set up my personal blog so that I could reminisce on the musical memories in my family, just haven't got around to it yet! At the moment I am trying to figure out how to add music to my blog. Music is a very important piece of life!!!

Sheila said...

Janey,
Do the two of you play together? That's really neat. I love music. I hope you get the music thing figured out so you can add it to the blog.

Unknown said...

Yes, my family sings and plays together. We have all my life at home, church, and then in 1996 we started a family singing group called "The Fisher Family Singers" and played several "Western" gigs in Cheyenne, Wyoming. My dad plays bass viola, my brother and both my sons play guitar. And we all "joined in there" with family harmony!

I am still working on adding music to my blogs...does anyone know of a good step-by-step website?

Sheila said...

Janey,
This is so cool. I'd love to hear you guys perform. I guess I appreciate Western music more than Country since I grew up watching Roy Rodgers and Dale Evans on tv and loved the Happy Trails to You kind of music. This is one thing I should have put it the tag post, but I think you'll appreciate this: I have a dream of visiting Montana and have even gone so far as to write the State tourist office for brochures.