if it weren't for them darn kids....

I'm not a bad person- really.

It's not my fault.

Today a piano tuner came to the house to tune our two pianos. This piano was a huge investment for us. It was delivered on Megan's 12 birthday, so I'll never forget when we got it. We searched for a piano for a year- one we could afford to replace the $600 piece of junk we had. We had come to a cross road.

Megan's teacher told us she had to quit or we had to get a better piano... ours was ruining her ear. AFter all our searching we found this one on a sale & knew immediately it was the one- it was the right price (thousands less than what we had looked at) with all the beauty, sound, & class that would make our children want to play.
We dutifully had it tuned several times over the first year & several more the next 3--

we payed for someone to move it when we moved into this house & immediately had it tuned again. That was 9 years ago & that's when the tunings STOPPED.

BLame it on me... blame it on money... I don't know?

I just didn't get it done!

Brett's parents brought us a second piano- we inherited #2 from his grandmother. He's a little upright that lives in the office. He has served us well. It's much quiter when life is busy to practice in the office- plus two kids can practice at once. That does happen - really. But- we never had him tuned.

Well,

everything was fine until today...

Today the piano tuner came.

A nice round man with a VERY thick Italian accent. I was off at the elementary reading with kids. I should have know it was going to be a long day when Jack met me at the garage door to tell me- I was gonna Love this guy- he's hilarious! Uh Oh....?

He spent the next three and a half hours tuning away.

That is- inbetween coming into the kitchen to tell me that

" I musta getta thisa instrumenta tuned. every. year. mamm."

He brought me every. single. item. that did not belong... bobby pins, paper clips, rings, paper, ribbon.

With a hearfelt plee....

"PLEAse mam, donta letta the children putta the toys in the instrumente."

I told him to no avail- that it's not my fault.

I don't even wear bobby pins- it's the children.

I try to tell them.

They don't understand "the instrument."

I explained- I love the instrument, I do- it's the children. They practice a lot- but they are irresponsible. I try-- but whatta canna mama do..a?

"I can getta the instrumenta tuned every year ... and cleaned to."

"So mucha dusta in the instrumente can cause the asthma, the breathing problems, even the high blood pressure. Clean the instrument mamm- not for me.. but becausea the a moth & the mice coulda live in the instrumente if it is dirty. This ees a professionally instrumente!"

What the hell?

If mice start livin in the piano- I've got more problems than just the toys dude.

I've gotta sinus headache.

hailey just got home skipping a test she's not ready for-

jack has been asleep on the couch for most of the tuning fun-

I'm ballet driver & brett's out of town-

and it's early out day which means trent will be here any second.

Dang- it's only 1:00 and it's already been a long day.

break a leg... just not a finger!

March is a BIG piano month around here.

Much to the delight of Hailey & Chloe

(that was sarcasm)

Every March these two participate in

Utah Music Federation & AIM

(achievement in music).

It's "a big deal" or at least it really feels like it.

In Federation students prepare two different pieces of qualifying music to be critiqued by three judges. AIM on the other hand has written tests, site reading & individual pieces you play in front of a couple of judges.

NO Sweat.... right!?

Well- this morning is it!

The big day for Federation.

AIM is the Saturday after next.

It's kind of like playing in a

tournament... for you sports enthusiasts- except YOU are your own team.Your pieces have to be memorized & your music given to the judge.

(this is what 15 looks like when mom keeps taking pictures)

This means NO pencil marks anywhere &

the measures need to be numbered.

That way if there are any comments the judges can mention specific spots in the music.

Max likes Federation.

And being scratched on the head.

Jack likes sleeping in. Since he only plays rugby- what a wimp!

SO this month our motto is:

"I CAN DO HARD THINGS"

or at least that's what I have been saying to the girls over & over & having them repeat it. Sometimes chloe repeats- I don't want to do hard things... silly girl. They say- I don't know how hard it is. I don't understand that it's really tough getting up every Monday morning & being at piano lessons at 6:30 & 7:00 AM. I don't know the pressure!

I just repeat...

YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS!

and smile.

bragging... damn right

someone told me once that "blogging was just for bragging"

no it wasn't you - holly

Well, tonight... she's right!

WAy to Go HaiLeY

A Big Part of My Life~ Piano Lessons

No I do not teach piano, nor do I take piano lessons. But, 5 of my children have, two currently. Piano lessons are a big part of my life. Every Monday morning my girls get up early for lessons before school. Hailey at 7:15 & Chloe is at 7:30. Hailey goes straight to school after that. Luckily their teacher is not far. It is a sacrifice seeing that they have to get ready early & have everything together the night before. I think before school lessons teach discipline plus they have decided they would rather go early than after school because it messes up their other plans. My experience has been that at least the first two years or more I have to sit with them while practicing (at least part of the week, frankly I'm not very good at it lately) to make sure they are really learning & staying on track. This is a real commitment- they practice 10 minutes for every year in school - six days a week (H-80 minutes/C- 60 minutes) Just like Megan they play beautifully & it is a real joy in my life to hear them make music.

On the other hand- helping a child learn to play the piano... pretty much ranks up there with potty training. It's not for the weak or feeble mother. The whining, crying, pounding, pleading, overall quest to waste time & do anything but practice- it's truly something to behold. Years of children pouting under the piano- begging to quit. Let's face it- it gets to you- it's tough.

After several years, I video taped a testimonial from Brian. He was allowed to quit only after expressing that yes, his parents did provide piano lessons, and that he was fully aware of his "natural ability" (quote from teacher). Thought of as the student with the most potential... he still quit- it was his choice.

Jack took for years also... we sure got our money's worth out of that 2ND level book.

To this day they can both pound out a few songs... the Imperial March from Stars Wars Easy Piano, being the most frequent. No other song in the history of the Messer home is more annoying.

Two years ago Hailey decided she had had enough. She was level 5 (the last level in most piano book series) it was just too much. Luckily by now the pangs of quitting had started to swell within her brothers & the obvious talent of an older sister was clear in her mind. The boys would have nothing of it. She was so good & so far into it. It was too late to give up. She had crossed the line- it was part of her life now.

As a seventh grader one of her teachers gave the assignment to write an auto biography. This is one of her paragraphs...

"Right now, I am still involved in a ton of music. I play the piano. It is my very favorite instrument. I practice seventy minutes every day, and the time is still growing. I love playing and being able to play for my friends when they sing. I used to beg my mom to quit, but she always told me that she would let me if I wasn't so good. I am so happy she made me stick with it because it gives me a lot of great opportunities. I like being involved in a musical instrument because it helps me set my mind to something and get it done. That is a good quality of the piano, because I love hearing the music coming from my fingers instead of an I-pod, and I like piano for me. Piano is a good thing, I can't get away from it. Right now, my favorite thing in the whole wide world is music." Hailey April 2007

It's moments like this that keep a mother going. I will post some pictures of H&C playing on this post later today- if they'll let me. Guess who wants to take piano lessons now...

TRENT

* do you play an instrument?

* did your mom "let" you quit piano lessons, did she really have a choice?