Chapter Forty-Three

Here’s the next Chapter of Lost and Found.

Last week was somewhat disorganized for me. Seemed like staying focused wasn’t in the cards for some reason. Here’s hoping this week will be better. Although, it is Wednesday already and I haven’t managed to check much off the to-do list.

So, rather than grumble about it, why don’t you go ahead and read this Chapter. I do have some music videos embedded here again.

Be well — be in peace,

Ron Rink
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Miss Thomas pointed to the piano nearest the front of the room. “Good. Why don’t you sit at this piano and warm up with some scales or exercises while I run upstairs for a minute, alright?”

It took me more than a couple of minutes to get used to the touch on her piano. The keys felt so different under my fingers. The piano at home, and the one at school, were older upright-type pianos with an easy action. Miss Thomas’ piano took more strength in my fingers to push down the keys. Once I got used to the action I began to enjoy the beautiful tone quality of the piano. As I played some scales, the room seemed to fill with a full sound I found hard to believe was being made by me.

Miss Thomas came back into the room, stood behind me and listened for a moment. “That sounds good, Roland. I like how evenly you play your scales. That’s excellent. Are your fingers warmed up enough to play the Bach?”

“Yes Ma’am.”

She picked up the chair by her desk and brought it over to the piano. “Good, I’d like you to play the Prelude first, and then go right on and play the Fugue. I know you haven’t had enough time to memorize them, so I’ll sit here and turn the pages for you.”

(Here’s a video of the Bach Prelude in C No. 1 from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1)

(And here’s another video of the Bach Fugue. See if you can hear the subject of the Fugue as it’s repeated …)

The pieces went well. I didn’t make any mistakes and even though I thought I’d be nervous, the sound of the music on her piano allowed me to forget this was an audition. I found I was hearing the music differently than I had during the time I practiced these pieces at home.

Miss Thomas was looking at me and smiling openly. Her eyes were glittering with what I hoped was approval as she nodded her head. “That was lovely, Roland—well done. You brought out the Fugue subject clearly. How did you know to do that?”

I explained how Charlie Sander’s mother had told me about it.

“Let’s try something,” she said as she moved the desk chair back and sat at the other piano. “You play the Prelude again and I’ll play something along with you on this piano. Let yourself hear how the two pieces go together and play the piece the way it makes you feel. You may start whenever you’re ready.”

As I played the Bach Prelude, Miss Thomas played the Ave Maria that was written by Charles Gounod. As we played together, the music began to fill me and I found I was making subtle changes to the dynamics of the Prelude to match the mood of her Ave Maria. The room filled with the sound of our playing. I didn’t have to look at the music, in fact my eyes were closed some of the time. When we were done, I felt completely drained. I never realized I could be playing something so beautiful. At that moment, I hoped she wouldn’t ask me a question because I wanted to start crying.

I looked over to the other piano. Miss Thomas was sitting with her hands in her lap and her eyes were closed. After a moment, she opened her eyes, looked at me and began to smile. “Thank you, Roland, that was beautifully done. I am delighted with how you changed your interpretation of the piece to match what I was playing. You did that perfectly.”

She stood and walked over to her desk and picked up a small book and leafed through some pages. “Roland, I would be pleased to accept you as one of my students. I only teach ten students and you would be my youngest. Would you be willing to practice for one hour every day and come here for a one-hour lesson once a week?”

“I already practice for two hours every day,” I replied boastfully.

Miss Thomas laughed, then asked for my home phone number, explaining that she would have to call my mother and make the arrangements for which day and time, and to get me started on some new music.

I felt the same sense of excitement that I would feel when I rode my bike away from the house each time I ran away. My feelings of trepidation over having a piano teacher had vanished. I did pause for a moment as I pondered what I would do about piano lessons when I ran away again. I immediately put those thoughts away because I knew I wouldn’t be trying again until at least the next summer. I could worry about it later. At that moment I could only focus on how fascinated I was with Miss Thomas, how much I was looking forward to having her teach me, and how I was already striving to do the work necessary to please her.

(Here’s another video of the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria as it is played with the Bach Prelude.)

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My other blog about Buddhism

http://www.buddhistbelief.com
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