My First Recital

My kids had only been in piano lessons for three months, so I was a bit surprised when their teacher invited them to play in her annual recital. But, we accepted the invitation, and practiced a little harder, especially in those last couple days leading up to the big performance. My kids didn’t seem very nervous even though around 50 people filled the church pews, which was a much larger audience than we expected.

I was impressed by the large display of talent. The kids, a surprising majority of boys, played everything from the Tetris soundtrack, to an Ed Sheeran song. One pair of sisters even composed an original song, complete with beautiful singing that belonged in a Disney movie.

And after hearing all of that, my kids stepped up to the stage, and didn’t miss a note. They played a solo and a duet (Old Macdonald) and then the teacher announced that they’d only just started playing. The audience applauded and their proud smiles so resembled my own.

Afterwards, we attended a reception in the church basement, with a wide variety of food including Lindt chocolate balls, homemade salsa, jello, and turkey roll-ups. The teacher made the rounds and thanked every student for their hard work. I’m so happy the kids are taking piano lessons, and I wish I had learned when I was a kid. I’m a big believer in the benefits of creative expression, and music ranks high on the list.