As a child I took piano lessons. For years. Started in primary school and I stopped in the beginning of high school. Actually, what I should say is my mother stopped paying because my only practice during the week was the twenty minutes before my lesson. That’s it.
Let’s be honest, you have to practice – and I just couldn’t be bothered. I liked the idea of playing the piano, but not the reality of the effort it required to play well.
Years later, I could still play a little. But looking at my grade 5 piano book looked like a completely foreign language – one that I could never grasp. And when I felt the compulsion to “tickle the ivories” I stayed with the familiar and easy.
Last year on the Glass House of Music’s Facebook page, Tasi played this incredibly beautiful version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. She’s a wonderful pianist. It was so beautiful. So beautiful I actually thought – this might be something worth putting effort into.
Honestly, my goal had been to approach Tasi in the summer for lessons, giving myself a few months to learn the piece. But life! Instead, I ended up approaching her for lessons in December. ACK!
I live in Brampton and Tasi is a piano teacher in Barrie. Even if it wasn’t COVID times, I’d need to be doing this virtually. And I was nervous about learning the piano online. What would get lost? You know what got lost? Nothing! Tasi’s a great online piano teacher!
She has an amazing ear – so when I was playing, it’s not just that she heard that there was a wrong note – she could tell me what wrong note I was playing! I did have the web cam pointed at the keys, but still, she knew it even without looking. This theory was proven when the camera was pointing elsewhere!
She adjusted my fingering for ease of playing. She picked up on my bad habits and could show me where they were slowing me down or throwing me off. Tasi knew the parts that I needed her help with, and we would go over those during our lessons. My piano is out of tune, with one note sounding horribly wrong – but we worked around that hideous sounding note – only playing it when needed for the melody.
As an adult, I had more freedom in my practicing. The benefits of piano lessons in my middle age. I did it when I could. If I got frustrated, I walked away. I’m now mature enough to try and fight through the little things. So, while I still wished I had given myself way more time, because of Tasi’s help, I passably played the song on Christmas day for my own enjoyment and satisfaction.
For other adults out there – give yourself the gift of learning a song on the piano. It’s incredibly rewarding and Tasi’s a great teacher, support and cheerleader. Now the question is – what song do I want to learn next?
-Christina Philips