One of my regrets is "I quit my piano lessons."
I started my piano lessons when I was around 6. (I guess.)
My first piano teacher was excellent. She let me sing notes in German first and piano next. I remembered that I loved her lessons.
When my parents moved our house to another town due to my father's work, I stopped my piano lessons for a year. My mother found a new piano teacher in our new area. I didn't like her. She let me play at the previous level where I was before.
I started playing basketball at my school. I started skipping piano practices and lessons more and more. Finally I'd quit playing piano.
I just played piano whenever I felt like it.
I got into The Beatles music when I was in middle school and high school.
I played The Beatles songs with a book that was a Jazz version.
I started to practice guitar myself and I composed music and put my lyrics in it.
I never got too far with that. I never played my music (songs) in front of anyone except when Karaoke became popular at the bars. I would hang out there, drinking, eating and singing songs with people who I worked with after our work. We sang many Japanese songs that we grew up with.
We put our feelings into the songs with our memories and wishes.
I had friends who were musicians that played in their own band. My boyfriend was their best friend, so we always spent time with them. He had a part-time job at small record shop when he was in college. (I was working already. I went to Art College for two years. He was in a four year College and he was a year older than me.) We collected so many records because we could get good deal from his shop. We collected way too many records, it was not even funny!
My son has been playing piano since he was 8. He was lucky he has a great piano teacher. His piano teacher (Kerry) is my son's friend's father, our ski buddy and one of my best friends.
I love how he plays piano and sings. He is a music teacher for two high schools and he was a dancer in Broadway musicals.
My son is easy to skip piano practices because of his busy schedule.
Actually I'm really sick of asking him to practice his piano.
Whenever I ask him to
quit piano if he doesn't practice,
He cries and says,
"I don't want to quit piano." I really don't understand why he still wants to take piano lessons without practicing.
He has been playing at Kerry's recitals since he started. Kerry has a recital scheduled for twice a year.
Only this target makes my son practice.
Kerry just gave us notice on Nov 17th that his next recital will be scheduled on DEC 7th.
We think "Hey Jude" is best for the recital out of the three pieces he has been practicing.
Kerry said, "Someone has to sing."
"You sing. You can, right?"
"No way" I said.
"I need to fix my English pronunciation as well." I added.
"Yes, you can! Many French singers can't speak English but they can do it." He mentioned a couple of French singer's names and he added,
"It is a cute idea!"
"Kerry, it doesn't work "Cute!" at the recital."
I came back home and searched women singers who sing "Hey Jude” in the iTune store right away.
I found Dionne Warwick's. I love her way of singing with "Hey Jude"
Next morning, I went to Lucy's blog. She has music on her blog.
The music started ....
"Hey Jude, Don't make it bad........"
You know, I will do it, I don't care if I might be embarrassed, So what,,,
How many opportunities do I have to play the music with my son?
I will do it!
Since then, I'm singing "Hey Jude" and working, singing and driving, singing and cooking.
I have to memorize all the words first, fix my English and make this song into my singing style.
I took a lesson from Kerry on last Wednesday.
After my singing, Kerry said,
"Have you sung in the chorus? Hoodie, you have a good voice!"
"I sung with Karaoke when I was in Japan."
"You are a good musician."
Kerry approved my piano and singing ,
all right!
I could hear my mother's word again,
"I wanted you to be a musician!" She kept mentioning this since I quit piano lessons.
(My mother passed away a year and half ago)
I understood English lyrics but I never got into the words when I couldn't speak English.
The words in Japanese songs were telling my feelings better.
However, I realized that this time, English words were also touching inside of me deeply.
And anytime you fell the pain, hey Jude, refrain.
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders.
For well you know that its a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder.
So let it out and let in, hey Jude, begin.
You're waiting for someone to perform with.
And don't know that it just you, hey Jude, You'll do.
The m
ovement you need is on your shoulder.
My son and I are practicing, "Hey Jude" together everyday now.
Practice time is longer than his usual.
He is asking me,
"Hey Mom, shall we practice?"
I have
never ever seen him sitting on the piano chair without my asking!!!
This is last year's recital picture -- Sorry, he hates to dress!
Imagine, I'm standing by him and singing! haha
My life never gets boring!
Next day of Turkey,
