I loved my teacher and progressed well. When I was 7 or 8, I was given a new teacher. She put a piece of music in front of me with lots of notes. I was looking forward to hearing it. The teacher said, “I’m not going to play the piece for you. You have to read the music yourself.” I knew it would be hard. I went home, knowing only G in the treble clef and F in the bass clef and tried to figure out the first chord from those two notes. I played the chord but didn’t know if it was right or not because I’d never heard it before. I also didn’t know how to read the rhythms. The consensus at the music school was that I was lazy and they stopped giving me lessons. Many years later, when I decided to focus more energy on music, I couldn’t tell this story without crying, even though at the time I didn’t shed a tear. I decided at one point that I didn’t even like piano music!
Over the years I took piano lessons and flute lessons and taught myself to play folk guitar.
At the age of 50, I decided to focus more seriously on music. I discovered Music for People and –wow!- I didn’t have to read the music any more! Every time I entered the workshop room with David after having been gone for a few months, I’d tear up.
Now arthritis is preventing me from playing the flute or guitar, but I conduct the choir at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Bradenton, FL. I’m really glad to be here.