For Them

I remember the first time stepping into the showroom and playing on their pianos. I was shy. I didn't know what "trying out pianos" really meant. I just walked from one instrument to the next and played a little tidbit of a piece I could remember at the time. My teacher didn't give me any guidelines to go off. We just played and arbitrarily said if we liked or didn't like it. 

We didn't end up buying a Steinway. A new baby grand 20 years ago was already $40,000+. The fact that my parents were even considering it is a little absurd for me to wrap my head around as an adult, but they prioritized our music education. That they did. I remember making a deal with my mother: if we didn't buy a Steinway, I wanted it to be a mahogany grand piano with a glossy finish. She said okay, but we didn't end up getting one with those aesthetic specifications either. We ended up buying one with a glossy black finish instead. 

That was the first time I stepped foot in their store. Since then, I've been to a different location multiple times but never to purchase an instrument. This year on Mother's Day, I came back again to this location. I drove myself and somehow miraculously found a parking spot in their tiny lot behind the store. I walked into the crowded showroom and found my student's parents. We sat together and excitedly waited.

They'd told me the night before already, but I was still slightly dumbfounded. Was my student really receiving the 1st prize in her division for her performance of a college-level piece? Going into this competition, we had prepared and worked hard, but the expectation was to have fun and enjoy performing a very challenging piece. I couldn't believe it when I heard she had placed, and not only had she placed, but she had been awarded 1st place within her division. 

I thought back to all the times when I had won my own piano competitions years ago as a student. Looking back as an adult now, it's very bittersweet because these memories are all tainted. I remember my teacher being proud when I won. I remember him being excited when I won. But I don't remember him being proud of me. I don't remember him being excited for me. He was proud of himself as a teacher and he was excited for his own reputation.

As a teacher, I don't focus on the competition. My students participate in festivals and take theory tests for their own personal growth. I've had lots of students do very well in these areas for many years. 

It makes me happy to be able to hand these out every time a festival concludes.
This year I handed out  24 total!

Theory medals!

It both surprises me and doesn't surprise me that my student won an award for her performance in a highly competitive competition. She's talented. I've known from the first day I met her five years ago. But more than that, I see her enthusiasm for music. I see her personality blossom in her music. These are things I can grow, but I cannot create. This credit goes to her.

It's bittersweet ending another school year of teaching. But I love getting to applaud their accomplishments and hand out awards. I know I play an important role in imparting knowledge, encouraging, and fostering their musical ability. But I also know I only see my students for no more than an hour a week. The other 167 hours in a week, they spend the way they wish. And it's their own dedication, motivation, and determination that fuels the rest of their learning.

I am proud of them. I am excited for them.