When I was little, I took piano lessons. For three years I dutifully spent half an hour every week at a lesson with one of the best pianists in my city. I also spent countless hours attempting to perfect what I learned in my lessons. I got pretty good for a ten year old, not a prodigy, definitely not a prodigy, but I did display a certain amount of talent. So, I quit. I totally rocked every recital I ever had, but I didn’t love it. I mean, I loved (LOVED) the attention and the compliments but I didn’t love the music. So, I quit. I knew it broke my Grammy’s  heart, after all she had spent many of my practice hours with me, pushing me, urging me to be a perfect pianist. My Grammy has played the piano for most of her life and she plays beautifully- she has always loved the music. When I quit she didn’t fuss at me or tell me I was making a mistake, she just accepted it and we moved on.

I discovered a complete and undying love for music when I was in University. I mean, I had always enjoyed music, but something in my mind or attitude shifted after I had matured a little bit. University was the first time I remember feeling emotionally connected to music, not all music (no offense but death metal doesn’t really do it for me), but many different types of music all of the sudden hit the heart of me. And I LOVED it. Unfortunately with my new love came regret. I deeply regretted quitting my piano lessons- and I have continued regretting it for the last six years. Despite the fact that I now had an intense desire to learn, I felt that piano lessons were out of the question- I convinced myself they were too expensive but the truth was I was embarrassed. I didn’t want to be the weird old girl taking elementary level piano lessons. Then, it hit me, my Grammy had given piano lessons all the time when my Mom was growing up and she had been the one to practice with me all those years ago. So, I asked her if she would give me refresher lessons (…for free…) and she agreed (because she is awesome).

Every Thursdays from now until I play better than Mozart, I will be taking lessons from my Grammy. Not half-hour lessons either- more along the lines of an hour and a half. Today was my first lesson and I actually surprised myself, I remembered quite a bit more than I had expected. In fact, it should only be a couple of weeks before I am playing at my former level, which, is not particularly impressive, but at least I’m not starting from scratch. An hour and a half is a long lesson but I enjoyed every second of it today. I even played a duet with my Grammy that sounded pretty terrific. Also, the memories I’m making with my Grammy are pretty extraordinary. So, no more regrets about quitting when I was ten- in fact, I think now is the perfect time for me to be re-learning and then pushing past that and learning more. I love the music, I love to practice, and I love love love my Grammy.