In retrospect, one of the fun things I used to do with Mom was play piano duets. I always played the bass and she took the melody. She usually let me “lead” by choosing the pace and volume. She seemed to have an instinct as to when I was going to speed up, slow down, pause or go from pp to ff and back to pp again. It amazed me how far she could reach in playing chords with her stubby little fingers. She once told me that her mother paid her piano teacher, Miss Fritz, a half pound of butter a week for her piano lessons.
Some of the songs I remember playing with her were The Blue Danube, Ball in the Jack, El Cumancero, (sp?) and of course, hymns: Sweet Hour of Prayer, How Great Thou Art, What a Friend we have in Jesus and so many more.
I’ll never forget the time Jack & Em & I went to see her at her apartment in Evista around Christmas time and we played a duet of Silent Night. Afterward, she turned to me and said, “I’ve never heard that before! What a pretty song!” I almost cried thinking that a day might come when her disease would take away her music.
Eventually, after she moved to St. Joseph’s, the time came when the only way I could get her to look me in the eye was if I knelt in front of her and sang a hymn and then, later, even that was gone.
I guess music was just one of many things that were stolen from her, but to me, that was one of the saddest.
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Mom also patiently tried to play some duets with me. The one I remember was from "The Sting" but I can't remember the name of it.
Tomorrow will be the 2nd anniversary of her death and the 25th will be the 38 anniversary of Dad's. Then right away on October 6th is Bob's. Believe it will be 14 years.
Sue
It was "The Entertainer." We played that one, too. I can't believe it's only been two years. It seems longer.
Okay, we'll see how this blog thing works, since my name keeps popping up in your blog. But I have to comment on the piano woman. Grandma is the reason I bought a piano and am taking lessons. I am practicing out of a book of hymns and it brings back rushing memories of watching Grandma play the piano, try to teach me the piano, and play organ at church.
Maybe some day I will have an ounce of that "piano woman" in me.
~Tammie
I can't hear "The Entertainer" without being reminded of Grandma. There are some hymns, when played on the piano at church, that make me think of her, too.
When I look at the beautiful (new) organ at our church, I think "Grandma would have really admired and appreciated this".
The musical talent is flowing past me and into the girls. Kendra is playing violin, bells and singing in chorus. Jaydee is learning how to play bells, too. She doesn't have the patience to practice, (gee wonder where she gets that from) so I don't know how long that will last.
Tammie, welcome to the blogesphere.
Mom
Once when I was with Mother, "doing her bit" at the church. She found the organ had been left on and tisked, tisked about it before she sat down and played a hymn. The next thing she played almost shook the stained glass windows I was photographing. It was the Entertanier or Nola She played for about fifteen mintues, turned off the organ and continued dusting the furniture.
And Tony died the 27th of September, 1977. For many years now, I have felt sad or tired, or negative the last weeks of September and first of October.
welcome, Tammie! You know, typing on the keyboard is good practice for piano. Mom was a really good typist, too. :)
Janell,
I need NO practice typing. I do that 8+ hours a day for the past 20 years. Is 95 wpm fast enough?
~Tammie :)
Tammie; WOW! you should have no trouble at all playing "The Flight of the Bumble Bee!"
This makes me want to learn the piano with Sebastian even more. Wouldn't it be great if we could really bond over this? Another blog post gives me inspiration on how to live my life. Thanks!
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