I have taken the opportunity to blog about Presidents who have played piano. However, I have yet to explore the piano playing efforts of our First Ladies.
I am currently reading Becoming by First Lady Michelle Obama. Her book is an interesting read, and she writes in a conversational tone, that simply feels like she is speaking directly to the reader.
Mrs. Obama was four when she wanted to learn to play the piano. Okay folks, I feel like Mrs. Obama is simply so down to earth, I am going to call her Michelle. If you ever read my blog Michelle, please forgive me. Michelle's Great Aunt Robbie owned the house where Michelle resided with her parents and her brother Craig. What I thought was so interesting, was Michelle's first thoughts about the piano. In her words "When you're little, a piano can look like it has a thousand keys. You're staring at an expanse of black and white that stretches farther than two small arms can reach." It was the first time that someone put into words, what I thought, the first time I stared at our brand new piano, arriving in our home in 1962.
Michelle went on to describe that she liked the piano and that sitting at it felt natural, like something she was meant to do. Again, that was how I felt, the first time I climbed on our piano bench. I had a family who loved music. My mom listened to Frank Sinatra while cleaning. My parents went to the symphony and the opera, and yes, we watched Lawrence Welk, every Sunday evening, whether it was at home, or at my grandma's house. The way Michelle described how she was surrounded by music lovers, was exactly the way I felt about my family, yes we too were music lovers.
Michelle had a focused pursuit on learning the piano. She picked up scales and filled out sight reading worksheets that her Aunt Robbie gave her. I loved her thought process in this part of the book, because Michelle commented that there was magic in the learning. Learning the notes for the first time is magic. It's a whole new language and to coin the Aladdin lyrics, it is a whole new world.
Interestingly, Michelle like me, often would look ahead in her piano books, and work on pieces that were more advanced. In reading the book, her Aunt commented on the fact that she wasn't ready to move ahead. However, I sensed a dogged determination on the part of Michelle, that she was moving ahead anyway.
Often in the piano world of Rosemary Ebner Pomeroy, I found myself at the music store, IMC Music Center in Berkley, Michigan to be exact, always asking my mom to buy me sheet music that said advanced. I was confident, that I could in fact learn it even if I wasn't ready. Perhaps that is a sign of a real musician, knowing that you might not be ready for a piece, but you are going to take a leap of faith and see if you can play any part of it anyway. As a young pianist, I wanted to be bold. I wanted to play like famous pianists on the covers of albums my mom had.
Michelle also took some time to describe her performance in an early piano recital. Her piano recital was held in a practice recital at Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago. Just like my mom, Michelle's mom saw to that she was wearing a nice dress and patent leather shoes. My mom was obsessed with black patent leather shoes, and that was what I had on for just about every piano recital. On page 15 of her book, Michelle described her first cold sweat of her life, and her anxiety about performing. I so remember those feelings, fear, wanting to play well, and most of all not disappointing my piano teacher.
She got to the grand piano she was going to play for the performance. Michelle realized when she sat down on the bench that the piano was perfect, unlike the piano she played at her Aunt Robbie's home. The middle C on her piano at home, had a chipped middle C key. The recital piano was in mint condition. I was relieved when her Aunt Robbie stepped up on stage, and showed her where middle C was on that piano. When I read this excerpt, I was feeling her fear and anxiety just as if it was me. The car ride to your piano recital is one of the toughest ones you will ever make. You are hopeful, you will play the way you have in practice, but you are also thinking of what you will do if something goes wrong. I used to use the strategy, that I would return to my strong place in a piece, and hope for the best on the second attempt.
I'm about half way through her book. I took a hiatus to finish my Hamilton book, before I see the amazing musical this Sunday. So I hope to return to Michelle's conversation very soon. I guess what I take away from Mrs. Obama's piano journey, is that she loves music. You see it in the way she listens, when there is a concert at the White House, that is part of a news clip on television. You see it, when President and Mrs. Obama are at the Kennedy Center Honors program, that music is part of their souls. And you see it in their eyes, when dancing at a State Dinner.
I've said this before in my blog, but there is order and discipline in learning to play the piano. But more importantly, there is pure joy when you learn to play a piece you heard on the net, or a piece that an experienced or famous pianist is playing. It is great, when you are singing a song you heard on the radio, or on your I-phone, and you make a decision right then and there to buy that piece, and learn it.
I know that playing the piano, does mean a certain focus on the pieces your teacher wants you to play to advance your progress. But playing the piano also means that you are going to conquer a musical work that has changed your life, sent chills up and down your spine, or reminds you of that first kiss, first date, the receipt of good news, or the chilling sadness that can happen on life's journey.
So Michelle, I am glad I am reading your book. I didn't come from the same place, but if we had met as kids, we could have been friends. It feels good to know that we have some common experiences, especially when they involve my favorite instrument the piano. Now that the hustle and bustle of White House life is behind you, I hope you can take some time to play more, and maybe even take some lessons. Who knows you might be able to accompany the President on "At Last."
No comments:
Post a Comment