Again...and again...and again...

When I was in the third grade, my parents sought out Mrs. Arlene Herring to teach me piano lessons. She was a propery lady. She always sat in her chair by her piano in a dress to teach her lessons. (My mom was a pants kind of lady so I found Mrs. Herring interesting in a dress at home.)

Mrs. Herring had a piano recital each year at the end of the school year at the Cumberland Baptist Church. Her students were all dressed in formal attire. This meant my mother made me a new formal dress each year for the recital. This is me dressed for my first piano recital in June 1960. 

By the time I was in fifth grade I was learning three hymns each week so I could play the piano for Sunday School at Church. The congregation was patient with me. I loved playing for Church.

Eventually our little Church building purchased an organ.

We did have one young mother who took organ lessons while at college. Bibbitt Pierce taught me the 'spider crawl' up and down the keys.  This is necessary as the sound on an organ ceases as soon as you release the key. If you want the sound to stay you must keep your finger on the keys. I went back to learning three hymns each week on the organ so I could play for Sacrament Meeting (worship service).

My piano skills were eventually good enough I could accompany a choir. (It seems I did that a lot.) 

One of the ways Mrs. Herring taught us to improve our playing was with ten pennies. You place ten pennies on one side of your piano. On the places in a piece of music you are having trouble, you play it through, slowly, one time. Then you can move one penny to the other side of your piano. Each time you play through the place that is giving you trouble, you move another penny over.  After ten time through, you are usually playing that tough spot in the music a bit more smoothly, if not, do it again and move those ten pennies back to the other side of the piano.

Yesterday I went to the Family History Center at the Lexington Stake Center with my hubby and father. They covered their shift and I headed to the chapel to practice the organ. We are having a Bi-Stake Christmas Concert in December. One of the choir numbers is to be accompanied on the organ. My task, is to learn that piece on the organ.

I sat for 3 1/2 hours practicing that one piece of music. I found myself after about 2 hours thinking I should search my purse and find ten pennies. Then I just chuckled at life lessons still applicable at 61 years of age.

I realized my skills are not near where they were when I was younger. My fingers are full of arthritis. My hands ached when I finished and I wondered if I would have use of my hands for anything else during the day.

But I'm tenacious if nothing else. I'll get there and it will be the choir they hear and not really the organ. The organ is to assist the choir and the reality is the choir will already know the music by learning it with the piano first.

I believe for me, it is the process of working and accomplishing the playing that is the fun. I didn't have ten pennies but I did practice the right hand many times, then the left hand many times, then both hands many times, then the pedal many times, then both hands and the pedal many times.

Thanks Mrs. Herring for teaching me and giving me a gift that I still enjoy today.