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I don’t regret many things, but not learning to play an instrument is one of the them.
Sure, I flirted with the recorder for a short while, but it’s hardly the most melodic of music-makers (the squeaky memory of Three Blind Mice still sends shivers down my spine).
I’d always quite fancied playing the piano – I’d been told I had a natural ear for music and part of me was sure I’d be a natural at tinkling the ivories. Sadly, I never had a chance to find out, as I never had piano lessons and my repertoire began and ended with Chopsticks.
So when my youngest came to me a couple of years ago begging to learn, I saw a chance to live vicariously through her and signed her up for piano lessons for children.
We started with a basic keyboard at home for her to practise on, just to make sure she was serious about learning, but once she’d completed a year of piano lessons for children we splashed out on a fancy one, with pedals and weighted keys so it felt and sounded like the real thing (the perfect compromise, as we don’t have space for an actual piano).
I’ll be honest, there have been some ups and downs – sometimes the 10-year-old is confident and enthusiastic and practises without me even asking. However, she can also get discouraged if she’s having a bad day and the notes just aren’t coming out right, which is where piano teachers make all the difference.
They don’t just teach piano lessons for children, they encourage and build confidence.
The 10-year-old has her lessons at her school and absolutely loves her teacher. She’s patient and professional and always supportive – even when the session isn’t going as well as it could. She’ll go over the piece, gently pointing out where the 10-year-old is going wrong, and encouraging her to try again. By the end of it, my daughter always has her confidence completely restored.
Then, of course, lockdown added another level of difficulty. My daughter tried her best to continue learning on her own, but there were moments where just couldn’t work out what she was doing wrong. We ended up resuming her piano lessons over FaceTime, and – even over video – her teacher could instantly spot what she was doing wrong. Little stumbling blocks that had frustrated her for weeks were fixed in seconds, meaning she could continue on with practicing at home.
As a mum, it’s lovely for me to see my daughter learning a brand-new skill, and gaining the sense of achievement that goes along with it. I’ve literally watched her blossom from being awkward and unsure on the keyboard, to confident and sure of her own abilities. She even made up her own song the other day!
Maybe it’s not too late for me to learn after all…
READ: Allowing Your Self Esteem to Soar – Helping Adolescents to Believe in Themselves
