The Piano in My Life

I grew up loving music. I'm not exactly sure why, but it's always been something inside me I can actually feel. My parents weren't musicians, although my Dad regularly played his Broadway cast albums on Sunday mornings. We couldn't afford piano lessons until I was ten years old. By then my Aunt Marie had taught me some notes and I could pick out a few tunes on her piano. To my surprise, once I started lessons, the music was not automatic. I really expected to be able to sit down and just play!
I practiced without being asked, and my younger brothers begged me to stop singing around the house. In fact, one brother thought my new husband had made a major mistake by buying me a piano for our new home! I still have that piano and try to play it every day. I'll never be a virtuoso, but when I am angry or stressed or lonely, that's where I like to go. With five children, I'm sure my parents could have used the money they paid for my music lessons for many other things. I am ever grateful they gave me the gift of music. I treasure it every day.

By Michele Collins
Kindermusik Educator