(A friend advised me that if I wanted to learn how to read sheet music, I should take piano lessons. God quickly provided a teacher. Later, I would also study vocal music with the same teacher.)
One Sunday evening, I called K-chan, who had led me to church, for the first time in a while and asked her how I could learn to read sheet music. She told me that the quickest way would be to take piano lessons. I thought, “I see, that makes sense,” but then wondered how I could find a teacher.
That very same day—or rather, just a few hours later—God provided me with an excellent teacher.
Behind the apartment where I was living at the time, there was a large supermarket. I usually went to the one near the station, but for some reason, only on that day, I went to the one behind my apartment. As I picked up a shopping basket, I happened to notice a bulletin board. Among the various notices, one caught my eye: “Piano lessons available,” posted by a woman who had graduated from a music college.
I sometimes become strangely shy, so I immediately called Sister S and said rather selfishly, “Hey, I saw an ad for piano lessons. Do you want to take lessons? Could you make the inquiry for me?” As it turned out, she had just been thinking about learning the piano herself, so she contacted the teacher right away.
To my surprise, she began lessons immediately—even though she didn’t even have an organ at home—while I, being busy with work, started three months later. At that time, I only had a foot-pumped organ that I had received from church.
Our teacher was a vocalist belonging to the Nikikai, and she was about the same age as we were, which made her very easy to talk to. During piano lessons, she also taught us singing from time to time.
Perhaps I was already too old to start learning the piano. In fact, my mother said to me, “At your age, why would you start now?” But I always say this: “It’s never too late to start something.” That conviction has never changed, no matter how many years pass.
Since a foot-pumped organ cannot produce staccato or dynamic contrast, I later bought an electronic organ at a low price from another church member, Sister N. A few years later, I passed that organ on to Sister S’s niece and purchased a Yamaha Clavinova. Meanwhile, Sister S bought an upright piano.
Through the piano alone, I was already greatly blessed. Our teacher continued to give us lessons even while busy raising her children, and after a few years, I participated in a vocal recital. I sang three Japanese songs. It was the first time I had sung solo since I performed “Yurikago no uta” at a school concert when I was in the second grade.
At present, both my teacher and I are busy, so I have paused both piano and singing. However, I hope to resume them someday—because I long to be able to express myself through music.
Continuation
The above is a testimony I wrote in 1997 about events from much earlier. As of November 10, 2002, I have stopped piano lessons and continue to study vocal music with the same teacher.
------ to be continued -----
にほんブログ村
にほんブログ村
多言語学習ランキング
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