when i grow up i want to be a piano teacher

Hannah started taking piano from our good friend Wendy Rencher in the Fall of 2011. Oh, how we loved her. The recitals were fun. Great lady & teacher. Abe decided he wanted to take too and we switched them both to another neighbor, Camille Lewis… in January 2013. Abe was quite enjoying himself. He picked up on it nicely and practiced occasionally.

Well… here we are trying to save money (we have to buy a new van… amongst other things)… so I decided to teach the tots myself. When I was the R.S. President, I just didn’t mentally feel up to it. I didn’t feel like I could juggle one more thing. Not that I really can juggle any more right now, but mentally I felt up to it.

We have lessons on Sunday morning while Jimmy is home to help wrangle the other tots (although during our first lesson both Tru and Liza thought they needed to be glued to me). Abe went first. He said I was more strict that his other teacher. He cried a little because he thought a song too hard. Well… “the hard is what makes it great”… I told him. He persevered and worked through that cross-over fingering and he figured it out.

Hannah, at first didn’t want me to teach her. She knew I would expect a lot. But she realized that she needed a little pushing to excel… to be challenged. She seem pleased after her first lesson. Plus, she has practiced every single day since. She’s working toward a reward… seeing the new Percy Jackson movie (thanks Steph for the Idea).

We gave them a fun song, the lessson/traditional books, a classical piece (selected by their other teacher), and Hannah got a primary song from the Friend. I think it’s a nice balance.

We’re going to try having a recital in May.

Oh – but about the growing up part. I really enjoyed teaching my kids. I taught when I was a young adult going to Ricks. I took piano at Ricks and at BYU. And I taught a few students in Florida. I am hoping to improve my teaching skills and set up a nice system to be able to teach someday (like when I don’t have littles climbing all over me). Music is so glorious. It’s so good for kids to learn and appreciate. I love being a part of that.