Dear *My 1st Piano Teacher*---Deal With This!

Truth be told, I am pretty excellent at playing the piano! There I have said it. I have definitely put in the time---so has my mother for that matter. But I am not as perfect as it seems--shocking, I know.

When I was younger, I had a teacher that would slap my wrists becuz I wasn't playing with beautifully curved fingers. He even made me tie red yarn to my wrists to try and remind me to 'bubble up'.

Didn't work out so well.

I play flat fingered. I like to think of it as being cultured (since I have HEARD that the Europeans play flat fingered---WHATEVER!) Add that to the fact that I am a HUGE nail-biter---we are talking chewing and tearing the cuticle down til they BLEED sort of thing---and I must admit that my hands might not be the most beautiful things you have seen moving on those ivories! I once was accompanying a vocal major who looked down in horror at my hands one day as we were practicing together and said, "Is that what practicing piano does to your hands?" "No," I replied in shame, "that is what watching 24 will do to your fingers!"

But, I seriously have some mad skizzles! All those comments from my mother of 'you'll thank me when you're older' really came true. And for any of you mothers looking for a great skill to give to your children just know this: accompanists at the local community colleges get paid $40 an hour---and they are always a HOT commodity in high demand!

Don't get me wrong, however. In a piano 'play off' with Jenn Crandall I would LOSE---but I like to think that it would be by just BARELY! Ü

But I digress. Back to the reason for my post. For all those teachers that got frustrated by my inability to round those fingers---or to keep that right pinky finger from sticking straight out as I would play my scales: I give you this.....

I could have been worse!