Yesterday was Mother’s Day and I found myself thinking about the time and energy multitudes of mothers expend investing in the musical lives of their children. Except that they are already living very busy lives, a support group for Piano Moms might be a good idea. Piano Moms not only spend many hours on the road taking their children to and from weekly lessons but they spend countless hours and a great deal of energy making sure they practice. Believe me, I could write an entire blog on that subject alone – “101 ways to ‘Encourage’ Your Child to Practice.”
Our children both had the privilege of taking piano lessons from Mrs. Carol Bumgarner in Hendersonville. What a gift and passion for teaching God gave that precious woman. Emily and Levi were about six or seven when they began lessons. Once a week, I would drive them to her home which was about forty-five minutes away. When they were younger, I would sit attentively in the same room taking notes so that I could help them successfully practice at home.
Emily loved to practice – a lot – and the first few years she enjoyed me sitting right there with her while she did so. It was a big investment of my time but oh so worth it. As she grew older, I would sit in a separate room at Mrs. Bumgarner’s and wait patiently for half an hour or forty-five minutes. When Emily was old enough to drive, she started attending Blue Ridge Community College and took lessons from Dr. Kevin Ayesh, another excellent teacher who we greatly appreciate. By the way, Emily’s BRCC graduation and piano recital was something BRCC personnel still talk about with joy.
Levi took lessons with Mrs. Bumgarner for many years. His “love” for piano practice wasn’t like Emily’s but the pieces he memorized then serve him well now at Freeburg Pianos. His admiration and knowledge of the instrument has risen to new heights.
The cycle continues. Emily is now a “Piano Mom.” Her daughter, Natalie, is taking from Mr. Steve Carson and really enjoying it. Every week, Emily takes Natalie to her lesson and waits . . . patiently. Then, all week long she encourages Natalie to practice. Her first recital is next month and you know we’ll be proud Nana and Papa.
My Mom taught piano lessons for more than forty years. Her first studio was in the basement of a drug store. When I was eight, we moved to another town and she began giving lessons in our home after school and Saturday mornings. Over the years, she had as few as eight students and as many as forty. She taught me how to play piano but my lesson time was much less formal than her “real” students.
No one ever says, “I wish I didn’t learn how to play piano” but many, many people say, “I wish I had learned to play piano when I was younger.” The good news is that it is never too late to learn. We have clients who started lessons in their eighties and nineties. ( Someday I will interview them for this blog.) No matter how old you are, I am pretty sure that your mom would still encourage you to take lessons.
Life is Grand
Joann
Freeburg Pianos Facility Update – The team has been working hard this past week tearing out the old in order to build up the new. It is going to be great to have space! Those of you who have been in our current facility know what I’m talking about. We put up the “Opening Soon” sign and it looks great. This week we will begin putting in new flooring, ceiling, wall color, etc. It is going to be beautiful. We can hardly wait for you to see it.
What a beautiful tribute to all “piano moms”! After many years of teaching, I know the huge sacrifice moms make to give their child the blessed opportunity to experience God’s great gift of music. Music really does make us smarter and moms are committed to helping their children develop their minds as well as giving them the joy of music that lasts their entire lives! God bless all piano moms!!!
Thanks Susie. You have had tremendous influence in the lives of many people through your teaching. The love of God flows through you and inspires musical creativity in others.
I am looking forward to hearing you play again, Emily. I’ll bring my Kleenex for tears of joy.
Thanks, Mom!! I love practicing now. Though I’ll never be a concert pianist, the ability to make music in my own home brings much joy to my heart.
What a wonderful blog entry, Joann! And I love the “ad” at the top – it’s fantastically clever. Most of all, your personal comments, spiced up with your family reminiscences, made me extremely proud to be a piano teacher. I actually feel a new lease on life as a performer and teacher. I can’t thank you enough!