For over a year, Esther has been asking me to teach her piano. I have put it off until this year, hoping that she would learn her ABC’s and 123’s first – it makes teaching piano so much easier! I feel as if I have bitten off more than I can chew at this point. She is so excited that I can hardly get her to sit still on the bench! She squirms and wriggles, smiles and giggles all while pressing the keys of the piano.
I guess I tend to be somewhat OCD about extra-curricular noise and movement, a trait I seem to have inherited from my maternal grandfather. :) Whatever the reason, it is all I can do to not scream as she writhes about on the bench beside me! I can only give short lessons at this point… Bad mom, I know. Perhaps she will grow out out of it?!
After our lesson this week, Daniel came in and was playing on the piano. I was doing something in the next room, and I heard Esther’s voice prompting his actions. “Now, Daniel. Push this one, now this one, and this one!” They were both delighted with their music, and she exclaimed to me, “Mama! I’m teaching Daniel to play the piano!” I couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures of the two of them playing happily together!
Here are my two budding musicians, hard at work! I just love those smiles!
Here they are playing Daniel’s “favorite song.” At least, that is what he said when she flipped the page in the book. How he made this determination is probably totally arbitrary, since neither one of them can play the song, but it really was funny! I love the way she has her arm around him – just like the sweet big sister that she is (most of the time)!
I recognize the book. I would also recommend Piano for the Small Fry 1A by William Monell. You'll have to special order it from the music store or online.... but it has sufficient review of the notes where they can practice the note names with a pencil (I flip ahead to these pages and have them do a line or two at a time).
ReplyDeleteHa! I can SO relate! My Caleb is the youngest student I have (5) and he is pretty excited about his piano lessons. I usually only last 10-15 minutes with him. :) I've used him as my ginea pig in choosing method books for little ones. I finally settled on Faber's My First Piano Adventure (for the young beginner). The books are fairly new, and are amazing! He is picking it up so quickly. It comes with a writing (theory) book where everything is huge to accommodate their lack of motor skills.
ReplyDeleteHappy Teaching! I'm still kind of wondering how the teaching my own child thing will go long term, but it's working for now.
This is so sweet and I couldn't help but being reminded of Micah in Kindergarten "writhing" all over!
ReplyDeleteI also think these are just the cutest pictures! I miss all of you sooooo much! love you!
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